The Silenced
by SpinalColumnSoup
Summary: Alexandria Cooper was a normal girl. Then she was hit by a truck and woke up in the presence of a loon with creepy creatures. Legolas/oc
1. Chapter 1 The Incident with the Truck

**Nobody but Alex belongs to me. Everyone else belongs to J. R.R. Tolkien. You'd think that this statement wouldn't be necessary seeing as this is on , yeah? **

Alexandria Cooper was a regular girl. She had average interests that were common for women the age of twenty three. She liked to hang out with her friends, who were also ordinary. She attended a University that was only marginally known. She enjoyed taking care of her neighbors dogs. The only thing she was really good at was art; even then Alex was no Michelangelo. She never did anything illegal, with the exception of having her license revoked for the mass of speeding tickets she had accumulated over the years. Alexandria was even average looking. She had a mass of red hair that curled when allowed to dry naturally. It always frizzed terribly when she allowed it to do so. Her eyes were forest green with flecks of gold in them and contrasted nicely with her ivory skin. Alex was short for a grown woman standing about five feet, five inches. She was good looking, but not a gorgeous beauty that the men desired, which also would explain her very short list of significant others. Her temper and sarcastic nature was a factor to the shortness of the list as well.

But Alex was a regular girl, so she couldn't understand why she was in the predicament she was in. Why was this happening to her?

That morning she woke, to the shriek of the alarm clock and the routine of her morning went on as per usual. Coffee, black; toast, slightly burnt; leaving for class, five minutes late; It was the kind of morning she had every single day. But somehow that morning went wrong and she ended up smeared all over the road, pain beating like a war drum against her bones. What had she done wrong?

REEEK REEEK REEEEK REEEEK REEEEK –SMASH!

Alex groaned smacking the snooze button again, fatigue encompassing her body and tempting her back to the realm of sleep. She had been having such a good dream too… Her hand smacked the corner of her bed, biting deep into her skin as her arm dropped. She jumped from her bed with a pained shriek and tumbled off the other side in a heap.

"Mother F-" she cursed, stopping short as she looked at the clock on her bedside table.

10:37

"Oh crap, oh no!" she yelled, tripping and stumbling her way out of the sheets, "I'm so late!" Alex ran into the kitchen, still in her PJs, slammed a piece of bread in the toaster and poured herself a cup of coffee from the pot. She drank it, wincing at the strong flavor, but she didn't have the time to put in the creamer it needed. Alex rushed back to her bedroom after putting the cup of coffee on the counter, and pulled on her outfit for the day. Her usual slightly ripped jeans and a tight fighting black band tee, which had a skull with wings on it. Avenged 7X blazed across the back in gold lettering. She tousled her hair slightly after raking a stiff brush through it. Today it would just have to stay curly, she had no time to straighten the massively thick mane.

As she swiped on mascara and put the finishing touches on her eyeliner, a pungent smell wafted past her nose. Alex sniffed and then her green eyes flew open.

"Shit! The toast!" She yelped and dashed back out to the kitchen and yanked the slightly burnt toast from the toaster, sighing in relief at its salvageable state. She scraped the really burnt parts off, leaving a pile of charcoal matter on her counter. Bolting down the toast and using the black coffee to chase it down, she grabbed her backpack and headed out the door, glancing at the clock on the wall as she slipped on her flip flops.

10:45

She was five minutes late to her class. Again. Alex dashed out the door, stopping only to lock it behind her. She mixed with the crowds and made her way to school, shoving through the crowds of people. The sidewalk was abnormally busy. Alex sighed, running her fingers through her hair, making sure to scrape her blue sparkling fingernails against her scalp. She observed the eye-catching polish while picking dandruff and flecks of paint that was previously in her hair, out of her nails. Her jogging slowed to a halt as she came to a crosswalk that was blocked by several large men.

"Hey! Watch it!" a man yelled at her as she violently rammed through the blockade he made with his body.

"Then get the hell out of the way!" she yelled back, a sneer adorning her face. Fury etched across his face and she gave him a condescending look. The light behind her turned to green as she was engaged in the battle of nasty looks with the thug. Neither she nor he had noticed. They were too busy sneering at each other to notice. Alex scoffed and turned away, making it clear with her body language that this guy wasn't worth her time. She pulled her backpack around to the front so she could dig through it looking for her iPod. She unzipped the bag and groaned when she saw it wasn't even her school bag. It was her overnight bag she had neglected to unpack when she went on a trip to the beach three days ago. In it was three outfits that were folded haphazardly, a pair of moccasins, her sketch book and art supplies, and her iPod. Alex sighed and scratched her forehead in irritation. This day just couldn't get any worse, she thought.

"Don't you turn your back on me, bitch." The man snarled from behind her and shoved her hard. Alex tripped over the curb in front of her and fell into the street. Fear clutched her heart in its icy talons as she saw a large pick-up truck coming her way. The only reaction she had time for was to widen her eyes in shock.

Pain shot up her arm and side as the truck slammed into her body sending her flying like a ragdoll across the road. She felt her bones shatter inside her, making her stomach lurch at the sickening crunching noise it made. The only thing she had heard similar to it was when her neighbor's dog had been chewing delightedly on a small rabbit's mangled body one day. The image of the blood of the rabbit and then the sight of a trail of blood as she slowed from the roll, that followed her body made her sick. She vomited in the street and choking as the motion caused pain to spark through her body. Pain coiled and curled up her abdomen and chest, making Alex breathe in short desperate gasps. She didn't want to die, there were so many things that she hadn't done yet. She couldn't die. The pain was connected to her heartbeat and with each painful thump; her body seemed to shake with agony. It was like being inside a large drum.

Her world began to fade at the edges, blurring her view of the sky with black.

"Oh my god, call 911, somebody please! Why the hell did you push her, man?" A voice yelled near her ear. Alex winced at the noise; even though it sounded muffled it still hurt her head.

'Why can't they shut up?' she thought grumpily, ' At least let me die in peace, you rat bastards."

Her vision blurred over fully and Alex exhaled for the last time.

A/N

Feedback is appreciated but not demanded. Flames are also welcome, if you feel that passionately that this sucks so much. Oh, it would be awesome if you readers kept an eye on Alex and let me know if she gets to be the dreaded Mary Sue character. I'm trying my best to keep her not from being one, cuz they're a cult you know, no lie. This is edited by me, so point out my mistakes.


	2. Chapter 2 The Incident with the Loon

**Don't own anything but Alex and the other random characters that aren't mention in the books/movies. J.R.R. Tolkien owns the rest. Duh. **

I would like to thank Kylnnjen, Podlasianka1 for adding my story to their alerts, thank ya darlin's and also thanks to Blackrose and Labyrinth Lover for the reviews. I'm glad you both liked the first chapter, and I hope this one meets your expectations. I know I quite like it. Alex is a feisty little ginger and pretty fun to write!

Chapter 2 The incident with the Loon

It was like swimming, Alex decided. Death was something akin to floating around in a swimming pool. The water held you up and swirled in patterns around you, but never disrupted the serenity. It was actually quite nice.

"I could do this forever." She said, shutting her eyes and splaying her limbs contentedly. She was astonished that she could move at all. Wiggling her toes, Alex was shocked at the lack of pain. Surely it should hurt, even if she was dead, she did get hit by a truck after all. But there was no pain. There was only bliss.

"Get up." A deep voice echoed through the darkness.

"Nah, don't think I will." Alex replied, stretching even further.

"Get. Up." The voice didn't sound too thrilled. Alex glared through the darkness.

"What the hell part of 'no' didn't you understand?" she snarled, looking around for the owner of the voice. He had no idea who he was messin' wi-.

Pain blossomed on her right cheek, forcing Alex to clench her eyes shut. A bright light built under them and tears flowed like rivers from her eyes.

"Open your eyes, you pathetic girl." The voice commanded. It was no longer echoing or far away. In fact, it almost seemed right next to her. 'Strange,' Alex thought, 'I thought I was dead. Or maybe I'm in Heaven? Or maybe Hell?"

She cracked open her eyes and swore angrily at the bright light that was causing her eyes to water in pain. Alex blinked furiously trying to clear her eyes of the tears. Once she could open her eyes with drowning in her tears, she did so.

Alex was lying on a hard stone floor that gleamed black. She was curled against a tall pillar that seemed to be a table. She forced herself to sit up and she could see on top of the table was an oversized marble. Her lip curled slightly in amusement and she shook her head. A marble, really? She glanced around, observing the room she was in.

It was circular and also constructed of the same black stone material that the floor was and the walls never seemed to end. There was no ceiling, Alex could see only darkness and rising walls. Creepy, gloomy, spiked walls that made goose bumps pop up on Alex's pale flesh. There weren't any windows, but somehow there was light in the room making the black stone shine. There were several large doors that led to a different room or hallway. One she could see had a desk and a mountain of old papers scattered all over. Alex was going to wager Hell over Heaven. Unless God had hired Satan as a decorator.

"This is not what I had in mind." She said drily.

"Oh? And where did you expect to land, little witch?" Alex jumped and scrambled to her feet, whirling around to find the owner of the voice.

It was a man, incredibly tall, sitting on a stone throne that was obsidian black. He apparently had a thing for white because everything he had was the color, from his stringy beard to his dorky robes. His eyes gleamed, evil sparking through and his mouth crooked up in a smirk just as sinister.

"I'm not a witch, old man." All the warning signs of a wacko still couldn't make Alex keep her mouth shut. A furry and unkempt white eyebrow rose skeptically.

"Not a witch? Do not lie to me, girl. You appeared in my tower in a flash of light, clearly this is witchcraft. Tell me, who sent you?"

Alex could only stare with her mouth open. 'What the hell has this bro been smoking?' She scoffed.

"Look, dude, I don't know what you're talking about-"

"My name is not dude. I am Saruman the White." If possible, his ego seemed to inflate larger than it was previously, as if his named meant something.

"Are you sure it's not Saruman the Loon? I'm **not** a witch and therefore nobody sent me! I don't even know where I am!"

Fury flashed across Saruman's face, his eyes burning, but then it was replaced with an amused, smug look.

"Do not know where you are? I doubt that, but believe me if that's true, if you survive, you will never forget this place. This is Isengard." He looked to the left and, as if on cue, two slouching, discolored creatures hobbled and limped from another room.

"Yessss, my lord?" the one on the far right rasped. Alex fought down the urge to scream and she mutilated the instinct to whimper. She would not look like a pansy in front of these things. Just her luck, they probably could smell fear and her bravado would go to waste.

"Take our guest to a room in the far section." Saruman then strode into an adjoining room and slammed the door behind him.

"He should be named Saruman the Dramatic." Alex snickered to herself.

A clammy hand clamped over her bicep, while she was distracted. The skin was slimy, similar to a rubber suit with grease smeared over it. Nausea rose in Alex's stomach and roiled around in her organs.

"Thisss way." The creature rasped at her. Its skin was a mottled green with filth spread unevenly like bad makeup on his (she assumed it was a he) body. Piercings littered his face, puncturing his crooked, pig nose, the skin where his eyebrows should have been and then linked together with a chain to his notched pointed ear. He wore a rusty chainmail garment under a large, scratched (once) silver chest plate and large leather pants. It was his eyes, however, that really frightened Alex.

They were all iris, and they were bright red with slits for pupils. They gleamed with nasty intentions and a hunger that shook Alex to her core. She couldn't tell whether Pierced Face, as she dubbed him, was looking at her with appetite hunger or another kind of hunger. His grip grew tighter until Alex's skin turned mottled purple red, and she knew that she would have a bruise.

"Come." The other hissed at her. Pierced Face yanked on her arm, forcing her to stumble slightly. Her foot hit the stone floor and she looked down, noticing she had no shoes. She hadn't even noticed that she was missing them. Another tug on her arm had her trotting after Pierced Face.

"Yeah, I'm coming Butt-Ugly." She muttered, eyes looking around as she was dragged, hoping for an escape route. She really hadn't liked the way that the Loon said 'if you survive'. She sure as hell was going to survive. After all, what was he going to do to her? Talk her to death?

The hallways all looked the same except for the lighting. In some places it seemed more natural than others and she glimpsed an open door very briefly. When she escaped, she knew now to follow the natural looking lights not the orange ones. Alex passed three doors on the left and then finally Butt Ugly and Pierced Faced stopped and yanked open a door, shoving her roughly inside.

Alex tripped on the doorway and fell inside. As her knees hit the rough, stone floor, her jeans ripped and her skin tore from her flesh. She let out a small yelp and threw her hands out in front of her to stop her fall. Her palms were shredded as well. Blood rose to the wounds then spilled down to drip on the floor.

"Oh, look how the young one bleedssss." Pierced Face cooed mockingly at her. Butt Ugly laughed and inhaled deeply.

"Ah such fear, such delicious blood, can we not just have a taste?" he asked his partner. To Alex's horror Pierced Face pondered the question heavily, before shaking his head, his bling rattling against each other.

"Perhaps later, if Saruman permits, but for now he wants her as unharmed as possible." Butt Ugly sighed unhappily, while Pierced Face stared at her from the door way. Slowly he shut the iron door and whispered "For now," as a last taunt before the door crashed closed.

Alex shivered and pulled herself to her feet staring at her bleeding hands. By now the blood covered all of her hand and stared to slide down her forearm.

"Ouch, stupid Pierced Face." She grumbled pressing her palms to her jeans to slow the bleeding. She glanced around at the small room she was in with a disgusted look on her face. The room seemed smaller than her apartment bedroom and it didn't have a bed in it. The floor and walls were made of rough, gray rock and the ceiling of rotting wood. There was no furniture in the rooms at all. It was just a plain room, like a prison cell.

"Where the hell am I supposed to go if I have to pee or something?" Alex asked the walls, looking around for something. On the first sweep of the room there was nothing, but on the second look around she noticed a good sized pail.

"Oh hell no, they've got to be joking." She exclaimed, walking over awkwardly, her hands still pressed to her legs. Sure enough, the bucket was the toilet, complete with excretions already in it.

"Ew, that's so nasty! Ugh, I'm gonna be sick!" she yelled hobbling backwards to get away from the smell and sight in the bucket. She stepped on something slightly squishy on her way back and she screamed. Her hands flew from her pants as she jumped a foot in the air. Alex whirled around; her two hands coming in front of her in karate chop style to fight off the vicious…blanket.

She sighed and let her still bleeding hands drop. It was only a blanket spread out in a corner of the room. She observed her palms and sighed when she saw that the blood was starting to clot already. Satisfied, or perhaps bored, with her hands, she contemplated the new evil that was the gray blanket laid out on the floor.

"Gee, I wonder if I got the small pox contaminated and lice infested model." She rolled her eyes sarcastically and nudged the blanket with her big toe. Nothing sprang up out of the fabric and attacked her, so Alex figured that she was safe. For the moment anyway.

She dropped to the blanket and buried her throbbing hands into her mass of curling ginger hair with a sigh, not realizing she was matting the strands with her blood. The situation she was in was disconcerting to say the least. What the hell happened to her after she died? Maybe she wasn't dead? Maybe what had happened was that she went into a coma after that truck made road kill of her and she was just dreaming.

She snorted, yeah because that's so what would happen to her. Based on her luck so far, this would be real. One-hundred percent real.

Alex leaned her back against the wall and her mind wandered back to life before she was…hit by a truck.

Laughter burst its way from her mouth at the ridiculousness of that statement. She couldn't stop laughing and tears rolled down her cheeks. Then the laughter turned into sobs, hysterical and body shaking. She couldn't make herself stop, the sobs just kept coming. She let the sobs rack her frame for ten minutes before the helplessness and the tears subsided. Alex was exhausted. Her body slipped from the wall to rest against the blanket, her body resting sideways. Her eyes closed and, drawing one last, shaky breath, Alex slipped off into sleep.

**A/N**

Well? Good? Bad? Ugly? Feed back is welcomed but not demanded, I understand you guys probably have better things to do that you're procrastinating on. Well, assuming that you're a procrastinator. I just assume everyone is because I am. Is that egotistical or what? But anyway, let me know your opinions if you have time.


	3. Chapter 3 The Incident with the L Stick

Chapter 3

The Incident with the Large Stick

If I owned The Lord of the Rings, none of that crap would have gone down! So don't sue. Alex is mine, and so is any of the random people that aren't mentioned in the cannon.

Allllrighty, here's chapter 3, I want to say thank you to Bangor, sweetypie200494, seetherfan77,darkblossems, watergoddesskasey, and gunitatsuhiko for adding it to your Alerts or reviewing. I could actually respond to one in a way that's more than "Yay, glad you liked it!" so I did:

**Gunitatsuhiko**: Thank you for addressing the question I asked, please keep an eye on her because I have a lot of ideas that could potentially change the story, big time, but I don't know if I'm going to use them because they might be too Sue-ish. Haha, weren't expecting the crazy man Saruman, eh? I thought I'd mix it up from the usual and let's face it, Saruman, while having an awesome beard, is pretty unusual. Keep an eye on this story, it's a wily one (haha not really, I try to update every week).

Alex turned over and stretched her sore body. Her internal clock was telling her she had slept in far too long to make it to class today. That bummed Alex out big time; today she was supposed to attend her history class. Mr. Joe was the best history teacher, she had ever had. But since she missed that class, her internal clock very nicely fell silent, trying to make the best of the situation. Oh what an opportunist, that little internal device was.

Her inner nag, however, was bitching at her for skimping on the fabric softener the last time she washed her bed sheets. Alex had to agree. The blanket she was sleeping on was chafing the hell out of her cheek. Her skin felt like it had been scrubbed with a steel wool ball. She let out a groan and shifted, trying to find a softer spot for her poor face. As she changed positions, Alex put a bit less pressure on her stomach and she felt the empty air roil around unhappily. Her stomach growled at her; she must have forgotten to eat last night.

"Get her up." A familiar voice boomed over Alex's head.

Rubbery hands grabbed her right arm and yanked her from the floor. A searing pain spread through her arm and shoulder. A scream ripped its way from her mouth as she opened her eyes in shock. Red eyes stared back at her, filled with glee. Alex inhaled sharply to force herself to stop screaming. They would not get the pleasure knowing that she was in pain, her pride would not allow it.

"Good morning, witch. I hope you slept well." Saruman smirked at her disheveled appearance. Alex knew she must look absolutely beautiful with all the blood on her pants and in her messy hair. She lifted her upper lip in a snarl, trying to imitate Butt-Ugly's expression from yesterday.

"Screw you and your fake manners." She growled, glaring daggers at the old wacko. The grip on her arm increased. It was in the same arm that he had grabbed yesterday. 'Well that's good,' she said sarcastically, ' now I don't have to worry about getting more bruises.'

Pierced-Face was bared his teeth back at Alex. His display was much more threatening; his teeth were sharpened into points. The yellow color and the bits of substance that looked suspiciously like flesh helped a bit too.

"While you are a guest in my tower I expect you to have manners as well. Or else your stay here might become…unpleasant." Saruman motioned with two skeletal fingers for Pierced-Face to drag her bodily from the cell. They walked down a corridor back into the original room that Alex was found in. The marble, she noticed, was covered up this time by a square piece of silky, black cloth.

"Yeah, because so far my stay has been oh so pleasant, I'm thinking of retiring here actually. Except for the shitty cell you put me in, the violent and downright creepy staff you got working here, and the lack of food. I'm freaking starving!"

Those skeletal fingers gripped her chin and stopped her dead in her tracks. His fingers were like ice and the chill spread down to every inch of her body. Saruman gaze d down at her, forcing her to stare into his black eyes. They were a bottomless abyss, infinitely cold and cruel. Alex's will to fight back shrank under the stare and withered away to nothing. This man was dangerous.

"Do not test my patience, witch. It will not end well for you." The words calmly whispered by Saruman sent shivers dancing across her spine.

The icy fingers were removed and Alex watched the man's white back stroll casually into another room connected to the Marble room, as she dubbed it.

"Leave us." He commanded, turning sideways holding a piece of parchment in his fingers, scrutinizing the words. Pierced-face let go of Alex's arm slowly, obviously displeased that he be away from whatever was going to happen in that room.

"G'wan now, shoo. Massa says so," Alex drawled out, southern dialect lilting her voice. Pieced-Face bared his yellow teeth angrily, but left all the same.

She turned slowly to face the crazy old man that stood behind her. A twitch pulled at his thin lips and his eyes seemed to crinkle at the sides. Was this an emotion other than anger and indifference, no say it isn't so! Alex grinned to herself at the thought.

"You've got bravery, little witch, and pride. These traits may earn you unneeded enemies here." Alex's brief humor melted into anger.

"Oh, man. I'd hate to ruin all the potential best friends I have here." She spat out with venom. Saruman obviously didn't appreciate this.

"I see that you do not wish to be cooperative and compliant; but that is no great setback, because you will help me, little witch, one way or the other." He walked over to a large desk and sat in the chair that was behind it. Alex felt a large hand pushing her forward to follow him. She looked back, thinking Pierced-Face returned, but she saw nothing behind her. Creepy.

Alex stopped feeling the pushing as soon as she came before the desk. She looked down at the surface of the desk and noticed that on its large face was a map. The map was unlike any she had ever seen before. Across the middle of the paper was a large title that said 'Middle Earth' and it showed various cities and features, but they were nothing like the cities or the landscape that she was used to. Oh, she was _so_ not in Kansas anymore.

"You study this map as if you have never seen it before. How interesting." The voice of Saruman whispered in her ear. She jumped, not expecting him to be so close to her. Alex didn't even see him move! Well, that would be because he hadn't moved. Alex had leaned closer in and shuffled her way around the desk to better see the map. Saruman had simply let her.

"And if I said you're right, what would your response be?" she asked, looking back down at the map, searching for where she was. 'Isen-something-or-other wasn't it?' she mentally asked herself.

She quickly found a large expanse of forest called the Fangorn near an even larger bit of forest that was called Mirkwood. There was a tiny little tower close to Fangorn that captured Alex's attention. 'Didn't he say we were in a tower?' There was a miniscule inscription that said 'Isengard' next to the tower. 'Bingo, if I can sneak off into the woods from here then I can make my way to Rohan, I guess and see if there's anyone there who can help me.' She considered Mirkwood for a little bit but then scratched that out. Mirkwood sounded a bit scary.

"I would have to say that you're lying."

"Well, I'm not." Alex scanned the map again, focusing on ways to get to Rohan. She didn't know Saruman was watching her intently.

"Interesting that you focus so intently upon Rohan." She jerked her head up to look at him. A nasty smile was stretched across his thin face, a look of insanity in his eyes.

"It is also interesting that Gandalf the Gray has been staying in Rohan. Very coincidental, yes?" Alex did not like where this was going.

"Sounds very circumstantial if you ask me." Alex stepped back slightly as the lights dimmed throughout the room. Saruman stood and he seemed to stand seven feet high if not taller. His staff slammed down on the floor and sparks shot from the base of the staff. Alex jumped as the sparks singed her feet, leaving good-sized, red blisters in their wake.

"I have had enough of your games, witch. Did Gandalf send you? For what purpose? Are you to spy on me then relay the information back? Tell me!" Saruman had backed her out in to the Marble room and was towering over her.

"I don't know what you're talking about! I don't even know who Gandalf is! I'm not a witch, you crazy bastard!"

He moved so quickly that Alex didn't know what had happened until it was too late. All of a sudden there was just splitting pain down her side, chest and arm. Alex let out a strangled yelp and looked over to see the white staff bearing down on her right shoulder. She felt more than heard a bond in her body crack and Alex's vision was clouded over by white. It was as if she had stepped into a blizzard. A blizzard that forced pain to bolt down her arm, shoulder chest and even roll down her sides in rough waves.

She could faintly hear someone screaming. It was a high-pitched keen of pain, the kind an animal makes when it's in an ungodly amount pain. Alex had never heard a shriek like this though, it was unearthly.

'Wait,' she thought, ' I think that I'm screaming. I'm making that noise.' Her blood ran cold as she came to her senses. She could feel herself screaming, the damage that the noise was doing to her throat.

'Shut up.' She pleaded to herself, the pressure was increased and the pain followed suit. It was almost like being hit by the truck again, but worse, so much worse.

'Please. Please shut up. Stop screaming, oh god, stop please. Stop! STOP! SHUT UP!'

Her teeth came crashing down onto her lower lip, cleaving through the delicate flesh with ease. Blood spilled from her lip to drip down her chin and onto the floor. The constant pressure on her shoulder disappeared. The pain, however, did not. Her collarbone and shoulder hurt so terribly bad.

Alex had to fight to open eyes she didn't know she had clenched shut; once she opened them, tears began to fall from her eyelashes. The tears trickled down her cheeks and mingled with the blood from her lip, causing the cut to sting. The concoction of tears and blood dripped onto the floor that Alex was kneeling on. She was panting from exhaustion but every once and a while small sobs would break through the pants.

She struggled to get up from the ground, but Saruman gently placed his staff on her shoulder again. The twinge of pain made her stop.

"Now, witch, tell me. Did Gandalf send you here? What are his plans?"

"I told you, I don't even know who Gandalf is." She wheezed out. The pressure on her injured shoulder grew harder.

"You stupid woman, do not lie!"

Anger coursed through Alex's body. If there was one thing her pride could not handle, it was being discriminated against because of sex. She pushed back against the pressure on her shoulder, ignoring the pain. She exhaled through her nose slowly, focusing her thoughts. Her teeth found their way back to her lower lip to worry at the already bleeding flesh there. She finally rose to her feet and looked Saruman right in his eyes. Alex forced a smirk to her abused lips.

"You're the stupid one. I've told you at least twice already. I am NOT a witch." The fury that was displayed on his face was almost tangible in the air.

Alex swore she could taste it, and _damn_ if it didn't taste sweet.

The staff was off her shoulder in an instant and instead slammed her across the cheek. Pain flashed through her head and Alex was released into a painless world of black.

Consciousness returned to Alex what seemed like seconds later. But it couldn't have been that short of a time, because she was in her cell again and her hunger was almost as painful as her body. She gingerly pushed herself up with her left arm so she could sit on the cold floor and lean against the wall. Her head pounded, her whole right side hurt like a bitch, and her lip felt like it was detached from her face. Tears began to trickle down without her permission. They stung the side of her face where she was hit. Alex touched her cheek to find a nice size gash where Saruman had struck her with his staff/walking stick thing.

"Stop crying, pansy."She whispered to herself, but the tears kept going. Alex lifted her hands to try and rub her face, but when she lifted her right hand she felt a grinding in her body. The pain the feeling brought was intense and so was the nausea. She had to fight the stomach bile out of her throat. She was not going to throw up, it was bad enough she was crying.

Alex used her left hand to feel along her collar bone where she was struck. It was tender and Alex sucked in air every time she touched skin. She moved progressively down the skin, feeling nothing. Peeling her sweaty shirt back to see the area, showed a very different scene. The skin on her shoulder was bruised, a nasty collage of green, blue, and red. Alex bit down a choked sob at the sight. That ass-hat had probably broken her collarbone. She prayed that it was only a fracture. A friend of hers had almost died because of bone marrow getting in his bloodstream from a shattered femur. She didn't know if the same concept applied to her collarbone. She eased her arm into a position it would be in if she had a sling, stifling her cries of pain.

Sighing, she used her left hand to scrub away at the tears on her face. Instead, she smeared something hot and wet all over her cheeks. She pulled back her hands and noticed then that she had broken open the scabs that had formed on her palms last night. She must have clenched her hands so hard they ripped open and she didn't even notice. And now the blood was all over her face.

Alex pulled up her shirt the best she could and used the inside to wipe away the blood from her face. She knew she wouldn't get all of it, but she thought she got a fair bit before she gave up. She slumped against the wall in defeat. She would just have to look like she had axe murdered someone.

Footsteps resonated around the hallway and Alex put a brave face on. Voices followed the footsteps and Alex slid closer to the door so she could hear what they were saying.

"Uruk hai get to fight with the Rohirim. Doesn't seem fair does it? We help create them, then they get to go have fun." The footsteps got closer to the door and Alex scooted across as fast as she could manage without her arm hurting. The footsteps halted at her door and a key scraped inside a lock. The door to her cell swung open with a creak. In the frame stood two shorter creatures that looked similar to Pierced-Face and Butt-Ugly; however, they brought food and Pierced-Face wouldn't have given it to her. Of that, Alex was almost certain.

"A new pet of the Lords?" the greenish one on the left carrying the plate asked the brownish one. He left the plate on the floor and watched the brown one carefully.

"I suppose, smells delicious. Woman flesh, not much of that around here." It took a step forward and Alex bared her teeth at it in anger. It took the step right back in surprise.

"Lord Saruman said she's a witch." The brown one retreated unhappily and both left locking the door behind them.

Alex let out a sigh of relief. If she was going to have to deal with this day in and day out, she was going to need a weapon of some kind. She scooted over to the plate gently. Her stomach was urging her to move faster, but her side and arm were begging her to slow down. Once she had finally made it to the plate, she sat cross legged and observed her dinner. They had brought her a piece of unidentifiable meat, brown bread with holes, and a cup of murky water. The thought of being poisoned flashed through her head, but she almost laughed at the thought. They wouldn't poison her, apparently Saruman the Loon still though she had been sent by someone and they would want to know who. Poisoning her was against their best interest.

She used her left arm clumsily to eat the slightly raw, mystery meat. It had a nasty flavor. She washed the taste away with the murky, mud-flavored water, it tasted even better, she thought as she gagged slightly. The bread was hard but edible. Or it was until she felt something squish and explode in her mouth. She spat out that piece and then she really did throw up when she saw what was in her bread. There were maggots crawling around in her bread.

Alex threw up her meal back up on the plate, choking the entire time. She dry heaved a couple times, then settled down wiping puke from her chin and trying to clear her nose of snot. Tears had also gathered in her eyes from the pain that the violent upheaval had caused her throat and arm. She rinsed her mouth out with the water, spitting it back on the stone floor. Alex dipped her left hand in the water and washed her face with it. Now she wasn't hungry, but she was nauseous as hell. Scooting back to the blanket, she lay down on her back, trying to get some rest. As she tried to sleep, the pounding pain in her shoulder, accompanied by the guards coming and going, kept her awake all night.

Now she knew where she truly was. She was in hell, but she had done nothing to deserve to be there.

Miles and miles away, a blonde haired elf rubbed his shoulder, feeling a pain that shouldn't be there, a frown across his face.

"What is it, elf, you injured?" a gruff voice asked his companion. A short, stocky man with a great beard and a large axe leaned against the stone wall across from where the elf was relaxing.

"Nay, tis a ghost pain." He responded back removing his hand from his shoulder. The man in front of him cocked his head slightly.

"Ghost pain? What is a ghost pain, Legolas, you are not a ghost." A smile pulled at the elf's lips.

"A ghost pain is the pain one is feeling that is felt by another. This sometimes happens when an elf has a life partner out in the world, but has not yet found them." A painful frown danced across his face again, and his hand found his right shoulder. The male in front of him frowned deeply as well.

"Well, this life partner of yours seems to have found a bit of trouble. Have you had these pains before?"

"No, Gimli, I have never had them before. This is my first time experiencing them. I had always just assumed that I had no life partner." He rubbed his shoulder, hoping the pain would diminish.

"Why would you think that? Perhaps this is simply her first time being injured." Gimli reasoned, leaning forward to observe the elf. His blue eyes were laced with wonder at this new discovery and pain.

"Emotions are oft sent through the bond, as well as pain. I have felt nothing for all my life. Neither sadness nor happiness, not even fear, the most powerful emotion. This pain, this fear, that I feel now, is the first sign that I have ever had that I have a life partner." He removed his hand from his shoulder and let it drop to his side.

Gimli watched him closely. If he had learned anything about elves by traveling with one, it was that their eyes showed every emotion and thought when not guarded. And Legolas's eyes now were open doors to him. They showed hope and wonderment, yet also pain, fear, and worry. The contrasting emotions played so strongly in his companion's eyes, Gimli was at a loss of what to do.

"Legolas," the elf looked up, blue eyes searching Gimli's brown, "where is your life partner? Why is she in such pain?"

"I do not know. The bond does not share such information as location. I must find her myself. Perhaps her emotions will be so strong, they will help me find her in dreams, but it is uncommon."

"Well, best to take your mind of such things, lad. If you cannot control the outcome, then I've found it is best to let things run their course. Since some lucky lass is meant to be your other half, you will find her or she will find you. It is only natural now that the bond betwixt you two has been assured. Come, Aragorn said they needed help ridding the fort of Uruk hai bodies." He clapped the elf on the arm and set off at a light jog. A smile played across Legolas's lips, that dwarf always made the future seem a little brighter. He followed him at a slower pace, his thoughts now only lingering on the ghost pains he was feeling.

A/N: Finally some Legolas! Actually it was just practice at writing him and Gimli since I've never written about them before. What you think? Good? Bad? Ugly? Burn it and beat me with a stick? Give me feed back if you have time and if I can formulate a response that's more than three words to it, I'll write it in the next chapter.


	4. Chapter 4 The Incident with PiercedFace

Chapter 4 Legolas

The Lord of the Rings does not belong to me and blah, blah, blah.

Huzzah! Chapter 4 hath arrived! I've had so many reviews and stuff for this story it's astounding. It makes my small heart swell with joy.

Thanks to watergoddesskasey, Ifbookswerefood-I'dbefat, miggity, Labyrinth Lover, Moonlover19, Winter Blood Rose, Belle Jay, Jazz aka Pantoffel616, Lady Azelle, CountryGirl6699, Alariel, amrawo, nekoFlein, secretlovers, Soldier of Passion, and gunitatsuhiko for alerting/reviewing/adding this to favorites and just the general participation when they didn't have to.

**Gunitatsuhiko**: Why thankies! I try really hard on descriptions of scenery and feelings because that's what I find appealing in writing. But you said 'almost see', yes? Then I guess I better try harder until you can almost feel where Alex is at. I'm glad you like her determination, but I tried to make it more of a pride issue than a 'I can't give up because I just can't'. I gave her a motivator behind the determination, because that seems more life like to me. You agree or disagree?

**Ifbookswerefood-I'dbefat: **I like your screen name. If books truly were food then I'd be fat too. But you'd tell Saruman off? Really? I'd cry and beg for mercy. He's such a lunatic. 5'5" is fairly short. I'm 5'4" and almost everyone is taller than me, except for you apparently ;}

**Labyrinth Lover**: I'm glad you enjoy the story; I plan to crank out a chapter every week. Sunday usually is my planned posting day. So naturally, I don't start typing until Saturday and if I've been bored with school/motivated with the story, then I've written a general idea out during the week. So check on the weekend for updates.

**Jazz for chapters 1+2:** Thanks, point out the errors when you find them. I'm positive that there will be some, because even though I edit the chapters for grammar and what not, I'm not a grammar wizard. Let me know of the errors and I'll (most likely) correct them.

**Pantoffel616 aka Jazz for chapter 3:** You again? Three times in a row, man! I am impressed and flattered; no really I am, I'm blushing right now. You think the scene with Gimli and Legolas sounded forced? Why do you think that? I'm not calling you out or anything, I just need to know what I did wrong so I can correct it. Elaborate and I'll see what I can do in the future to avoid/fix the problem of said forced-ness…is that even a word?

**Amrawo: **Awwws thanks; I'm glad you love it. It's hard to make an interesting and different story, ya know, so huzzah for that! I update as soon as I can but that may be a week or more from the last chapter. Life is getting hectic for me at the moment.

**Alariel**: I'm glad you like it. How does her attitude need help? Expound upon that please and I'll do what I can to fix the problem if it doesn't ruin her character. Because sometimes I have her like that for a reason, shocking I know.

**CountryGirl6699**: I'm glad you liked it. I try to post once a week but I do have other priorities, such as high school, college classes, and other random things. P.S. hehehe! Ah Alex is very creative with names, isn't she? XD

'How long has it been?' Alex wondered,' I don't even remember how long it's been since I was hit by a truck.' She crept around a tree keeping an eye on her surroundings. She had been in this forest for days. She was starving, parched, aching, and exhausted. But she was free. Free of Saruman, free of those loathsome creatures he commanded, and free of that tiny cell. She tiptoed to the bank of the stream on the edge of the trees, looking around for anything that might want to harm her. The coast was clear. Her grimy hands were dipped into the water; dirt swirled around in the current from them. The clear water showed her reflection as if she were looking into a mirror.

Her armor was filthy, covered in mud, as was every part of her body. Her arms showed through the rusty chainmail she wore under the chest plate. Her skin looked like Saruman's creatures': off colored by bruises, black blood, and a smattering of dirt all different shades. It didn't help that she was wearing their armor, helmet and weapon included.

Had Alex not known that it was her own reflection, she might have thought she was one of them. A shudder coursed its way through her body. Alex had made it out of Isengard, but not in the shape she arrived in. In the brief moment of peace her mind drifted back to her escape.

_The days went by in a blur of routine. Butt-Ugly and Pierced-Face would come to get her early in the morning (she assumed it was morning but she didn't know for sure; her internal clock was all screwed up), while she was still sleeping. The methods they used to wake her were not pleasant and they always involved hurting her right arm even farther. Sometimes they would kick her, sometimes they would haul her up, and others they would just yank and pull on the abused limb until she would scream. _

_ Then they dragged her off to talk to Saruman. He asked the same questions every time she was brought into the Marble Room: 'What's Gandalf planning?', ' Why did he send you?', 'Where is the ring?' and things akin to that. Every time she would answer the same way: ' I don't know him.', ' I don't know.' And it was the truth. He didn't believe her so he would hit her with the staff. She accumulated bruises on every part of her body; Alex didn't think that she had any piece of skin left that wasn't a shade of blue, purple, or green. She began to want to die, but her pride refused to let her. She would survive this and she would pay Saruman back for everything he had done. _

_ Then just as the interrogation worsened, suddenly Saruman just forgot about her. She sat in her cell for weeks it seemed like. Food was still brought to her by Pierced-Face, but he seemed to have lost his smugness. He looked bitter, unhappy. Not that Alex gave a shit about his emotional wellbeing, besides the fact that he may be more inclined to take his stress out on her. She wisely kept quiet and ate everything that was given to her; now was the time to heal and regain her lost strength. Slowly her strength did return. She was eating and sleeping better. Alex even forced herself to build up her strength by doing pushups (with one arm, her right was still not healed) and curl ups. It was a great way to relieve boredom as well. The resulting sweat from her workouts however did nothing to improve her hygiene. Her hair was matted and was started to dread, she was sure she stank like a dead animal left to rot in the sun. She didn't even want to look at her legs and armpits. Alex was certain that they looked like a ginger jungle, not attractive. Not that there as anyone to seduce here. Actually she hoped it kept any of the creatures from assaulting her, but she wasn't sure that they'd care about the state of her hairy legs. _

_ She was woken up one day, by the noise of a key being shoved into a lock. The grinding metal snapped her awake instantly. It was Pierced-Face bringing her food. He glared at her through the eye holes of his new helmet, holding out the metal plate for her to take. Alex reached for it, and just as her fingertips brushed the cold metal, he let it drop from his grip. The hot gruel splattered all over her bare feet and Alex let out a curse. Pierced-Face grinned. _

_ "Thanks a bunch, asshole, seems like you can't do anything right. Now get on back to your master and tell him that I need another plate of food because you fail at life." She snapped out at him, touching the top of her feet. _

_ All of a sudden, Alex found herself flat on her ass with a heavy, scorching weight on top of her. Pierced-Face had jumped on her. His breath rasped in her ear and a slimy tongue touched the shell. She let out a yell and pushed back against his weight, but couldn't get him off her. _

_ "You've outlived your usefulness, girl," he growled in her ear, "Saruman doesn't need you anymore." His sharp nails ripped her shirt into shreds and raked along the skin underneath. Alex screamed and hit every part of him that she could reach with her left arm. This was not happening. This was NOT happening. _

_ "Yes, scream, no-one's going to help you now." He reached for her pants and tore tat them as well. Alex groped around looking for something to hit him with. Fear welled up in her body when she found nothing. This thing was going to rape her. Tears trickled down the side of her face and she used both of her arms to push at Pierced-Face, ignoring the splitting pain it was causing her right arm. _

_ "The woman is not so arrogant now." Alex heard a voice behind coming from the door way. It was Butt-Ugly. Pierced-Face chuckled darkly in her ear and turned to look at his fellow creature. _

_ "They never are once shown their place." While they were exchanging words, Alex was ghosting her fingers over the creature's belt. He was always armed and now that he was distracted, maybe she could get the weapon. After a few moments, her fingers brushed against a handle of some kind. Alex felt down the sheath and excitement made her inhale. It was a dagger. She drew it silently and waited for Butt-Ugly to leave. He did after a few more lick of his lips (Alex cringed at the sight), and Pierced-Face turned back to face her. _

_ He lifted himself to get his pants off and Alex struck, adrenaline flooding her system. She whipped up her arm with the long dagger in her clutches and stabbed it deep into the neck of the creature. Black blood flowed from his mouth as it opened in shock. It splattered across Alex's chest and face, dripping down to the floor. She withdrew the blade and stabbed him again and again, until his neck was a mutilated mass of black ooze and torn flesh. He went limp against her. The fight was over and Alex was the victor. Now it was time for flight. _

_ She heaved the creature off of her; breathing heavily at the strain it caused her body. Looking down at herself, Alex surveyed the damage done to her body and clothes. Her shirt was nothing more than a few strands of cloth and her once white bra and the skin around it was covered in gooey, black blood. Alex whipped off the shirt and yanked the metal armor off the dead body of Pierced-Face. The chainmail came off with difficulty as well. She layered the two garments over her torso and was shocked by how heavy they were. The chainmail especially, Alex had thought it weighed a ton._

_The belt with all the weapons came off and so did the weird chap looking half pants. Alex pulled the chap like pants over her jeans and strapped on the belt, sheathing the dagger in its place once more. She ripped off his helmet as well, folding her dreading hair into a bun at the nape of her neck and stuffing it under the piece of metal. Alex looked herself over and noticed that her pale skin was very noticeable when compared against the darkened metal. Looking down at the dead body on the floor, she cringed at the idea that popped into her mind. But she had to get out of here. She dipped her fingers in the spilt blood and smeared it all over her ski, including her bare feet. It was mixing with the dirt on the floor and it scraped against Alex's skin. Nausea rose in her stomach from the smell. But she didn't have time to waste. _

_She darted out the cell, pausing only to disguise the body with the scratchy blanket and shut the door behind her. The hallways were empty. Alex padded out at a fast walk, trying to not draw attention to herself. There were so many darkened hallways that she couldn't find her way out. Panic welled up in her body and she began to jog down the different corridors of the labyrinth like building. A sob escaped from her mouth as she ran into another dead end. She was going to be stuck in here forever. Alex forced her lungs to inhale slowly and exhale slowly to calm herself down. It didn't work. _

_She turned and made her way slowly to the Marble Room, remembering the first day when she saw the light from outside. The corridor she was walking down dimmed and suddenly ended. Another sob tore from her throat and she slammed her hand against the wall in despair. A thin sliver of light peaked out between her fingers. _

_"Oh my god," She whispered and pushed harder against the wall. The line of light grew thicker. Alex pushed her shoulder against the door and it creaked open slightly._

_"Come on, you bitch, open!" she screamed and slammed against it with all her might. The door shuddered open. Water flowed in around her feet and Alex sloshed out into the open. _

_"WITCH!" She heard the yell behind her. Alex turned around and saw Saruman standing in the beginning of the hallway. He looked furious. His eyebrows actually were quivering in rage. She tried to run but the extra weight of the armor and the water pooling around her knees made it difficult. She had never been this scared in her life. Freedom was so close and Saruman would have it taken away from her. The thought and the adrenaline gave her extra power and she raced through the sludgy water._

_"You will not tell anyone of the secrets you saw here!" He yelled at her escaping back. She raised her middle finger over her shoulder and sped on. He muttered something unintelligible after her in a dark language Alex didn't understand. _

_Alex never saw the dark cloud of magic race after her; she just felt the force impact against her back. It flung her forward and she landed face down in the water. Icy pain wrapped around her throat and chest as the curse made its way through her body. Alex rolled herself onto her back as she was caught in the current of the water. The pain continued to gnaw at her chest and throat. She tried to suck air into her lungs but was forced into unconsciousness as the pain in her chest blossomed. _

_But when Alex woke up, she was on a large expanse of a muddy plane, with a forest of dangerous, looming trees shading her from the sun. She had crawled through the mud and into the forest, curling up under the first outcropping of rock she found. She began to go into shock from relief and the stress put on her body. Sobs racked her thin, starved frame. _

_Once she stopped crying, Alex found that she was emotionally spent. She had no more tears left to cry; she couldn't even laugh or smile to celebrate her successful escape. She shook her head and tried to counsel herself in believe that she was safe now. Except that when she tried, a burning pain manifested itself in her trachea. It was as if there were a thousand knives being stabbed into her throat. She hadn't been able to make any noise since and Alex had been in the forest for two days. _

Alex's attention was pulled away from her thoughts when she heard a rattling in the bushes behind her. She quickly finished her drink and darted back to the looming trees. Wrapping her left hand around a thick branch she hoisted her body up into the tree, one handed.

Out from the bushes, came a pack of Saruman's creatures. Alex froze and tried to blend in with the tree completely. They couldn't find her, not now. Not after she went through all the trouble to escape. They made their way to the river that she was just at, grumbling and complaining the whole way.

"—useless master he was! Got us all killed and hunted, didn't he? I'd love to get my hands on his throat." One growled loudly.

"Not if I get to him first. I'd bleed him slow and watch the life go from his eyes!" Another said as he splashed into the water. The biggest of them all hissed at them.

"Quiet, fools! There have been horsebreeders seen in this area. They'll come down on us and there won't be time for you to run." He turned and a thunk noise was heard. His back stiffened and he fell, collapsing in a heap with an arrow jutting from his throat.

The next minute or two was nothing but chaos. Out from the bushes on opposite sides, sprang a band of men atop horses galloping towards each other. They caught the creatures in the middle of them and set to annihilating them. Arrows whizzed through the air, swords flashed this way and that, and horses were whirling around everywhere. Alex shrunk to the tree and very quietly tried to sneak down the back while the men were preoccupied with the creatures. She didn't get very far.

By the time she was down the tree, the fight was over and the men were spreading out to find any creatures that might be hiding. So as she was sneaking away into the bushes, Alex was grabbed by the right arm harshly and forced to her knees. Pain and fear jolted through her body. She tried to scream and tell the man she wasn't one of them, but her throat was burning at the attempt and her lips moved soundlessly. Her right arm was leveraged so her torso was bent over and tears began to fall from her closed eyes at the pain. Her breath came in ragged pants and sobs. The ring of a sword being drawn was heard right above her bent head. She was going to die.

"Wait!" A clear voice rang out. Alex's breath stopped short and she tried to look around for the person who said it. The grip on her arm tightened and she would have whimpered if she could.

"My lord?" the man who was holding her asked. Alex heard soft footsteps in front of her. She cracked open her eyes to see green slipper like shoes in front of her.

"Sheathe your sword and release her." This voice was like music. It flowed and soothed Alex's fears away. She would not be killed at this moment, he would not allow it.

"Her? My Lord, it is an orc." The confused and bewildered voice of her captor said.

"No, it is not. Now release her." The voice had changed from musical to deadly. It was not warm like it had been moments ago. Now it was cold and frosty like snow. The grip on her arm dropped suddenly and Alex stiffened in momentary pain as the limb came back down to a normal position. She cradled the abused arm to her chest, too focused on the pain of her shoulder and arm to care about her rescuer.

A soft pressure was placed on her other shoulder. Alex twitched away from the contact and jerked her head up. The sight of the man that saved her made here inhale sharply.

He was gorgeous. She couldn't think of any other way to describe him. His hair was long and silky blonde. It tumbled down his shoulders with a grace that Alex hadn't known hair could possess. It was pulled back and braided past his…pointy ears. His skin was fair and smooth; there wasn't a wrinkle to be seen. His nose was straight and his lips full. But it was his eyes that really shocked Alex. They were crystal blue. They reminded her of the sky on a clear day, or maybe the sparkling water of a tropical ocean. His eyes seemed to delve deep into her soul; she felt as if he was able to see everything she had ever done. She lowered her eyes in embarrassment. He was beautiful while she was filthy and dressed like one of the creatures they had just killed.

"My lady? May I take this helmet off of you?" he asked removing his hand as she pulled away from it. Alex paused and then nodded hesitantly, unsure of his intentions. He raised his hands slowly but the motion still caused Alex to flinch back, thinking that he was going to strike her. Her eyes closed on reflex and her body prepared for the pain. It never came. She opened one eye then the other hesitantly. A frown marred his perfect lips and his brow was pulled in. The blue of his eyes were tortured and full of pity. It seemed that the weeks in Isengard had hurt her more than just physically. She was unused to touch that was not harmful.

The man tried again, this time slower. He gazed into her green orbs as he raised his hands once more to pull the helmet off her head. As the helmet was lifted off her head, Alex's matted red hair tumbled out of its confines and felt about her face and shoulders. It had gotten quite long in the time she was held captive. It was now down to her lower back.

The man behind her let out a strangled noise of astonishment. Alex wanted to turn around and look at him, but she was held captive but blue eyes. They were so full of emotion; Alex felt she could look into them forever. There was anger, sadness, wonder, pity and a plethora of others she couldn't identify. He offered Alex his hand, which she took hesitatingly, and he pulled her to her feet.

"Come." He started to walk away still holding her hand, but Alex planted her feet in the ground and refused to be budged. She was almost certain that if he wished he could drag her where any place he wanted, but she was not just going to follow him blindly. Just because he was good looking didn't mean the he was a good person. The distrust and wariness she was feeling must manifested in her eyes because as he stopped to look at her, a pained expression came over his face momentarily, but then was gone.

"I want to help you. We have a party not two leagues away that have supplies. You are in pain and it is dangerous to be dressed in such a fashion." He said. Alex searched his eyes for any lies. His intentions to help her were sincere. Reluctantly she nodded and tried to pull her hand from his. He was reluctant to let it part company with his, but he did let her retract it.

He offered her his arm but Alex wasn't sure what she was supposed to do with it. What time period was she in anyway? The man gently laid her arm on the crook of his and led her away from the forest. Alex took the time to observe the men around her.

They were strong, tall, fierce men with blonde hair and strong jaws. They wore armor made of gold with black patterns. Most had horses depicted on their armor or they carried a flag with a galloping white horse. They must be the horsebreeders the creatures were talking about. The man who was standing closest to her wouldn't raise his eyes to meet hers. He must have been the one that was going to kill her. He was especially tall and fierce looking, though his face showed profound guilt. Alex reached out to touch his armor covered forearm. He jolted and looked at her in surprise. Alex tried to show with her eyes that she didn't blame him; that if she was in his place she would have done the same thing. The man looked relieved and bowed low to her.

"My lady is gracious and kind. I am Eomer, Third Marshall of the Riddermark." Alex smiled slightly at him, not sure what she was supposed to do.

"There will be time for formal introductions later, Eomer. She must be treated for her injuries or they could become aggravated beyond repair." Eomer nodded and bowed to Alex once more before swiftly mounting a tall, grey horse. Another horse came trotting over as the man she had looped arms with whistled. It too was tall, but not as thick as Eomer's horse. This horse looked like it was built for speed while Eomer's, for strength.

"I fear we have no extra horse, my lady, I hope it would not offend you to ride with me?" Alex shifted hesitantly on her sore bare feet. She still didn't know who this man was. Alex pointed to him and cocked her head slightly, hoping to convey the question. His brow furrowed for a moment then his eyes widened in shock.

"I beg your pardon, my lady; I have not told you my name. I am Legolas, an elf from Mirkwood." Alex's eyes must have bugged out of her head. An elf? Was this guy off his rocker too? Why did she attract crazy people?

But then again…he had the ears. Alex looked over at his ears, then back to his calm face…then back to his ears again. She closed her eyes, sighing and shaking her head slightly. What the hell, run with it. When Alex opened her eyes, Legolas (What an odd ass name) was looking at her expectantly. Alex shook her head and touched her throat, trying to communicate that she couldn't speak. It appeared to have worked as understanding dawned on his face.

"You cannot talk?" Alex nodded and shifted as he seemed to focus intently upon her neck, "I feel that this was not naturally caused. There is sorcery behind your silence. This is a case for Mithrandir, come we must go quickly!" he motioned to come closer to the large horse. Alex was a bit nervous; she had never ridden a horse before.

"Arod is kind and I am an experienced rider. I will not let you fall." He comforted her. She stepped forward slowly. Legolas walked behind her, put his hands on her waist and lifted her onto the horse with ease. Then he was up behind her, securing her in with his green and gray clothed arms and Arod was walking out of the forest to meet up with the riders. They stared at her with suspicion clear across their faces and in some cases hate. Alex glared right back at the ones who glowered at her in hate, her lip lifted slightly in a sneer. She had faced worse things than these men.

She felt vibrations up her back and she turned her head slightly to look back at Legolas. A small smile twitched at the corner of his lips and his eyes sparkled with mirth. Alex gave him a cheeky smile in return. The corners of his eyes crinkled slightly and his lips tilted into a full smile.

Alex turned back around and watched as the company of horses gathered together in formation before galloping away. Legolas didn't ride with in the formation; he rode slightly to the left of them. Arod picked up speed quickly and though he galloped smoothly, Alex was panicked. She grabbed a fistful of the horse's steel gray mane and another handful of Legolas's breeches, hanging on for dear life.

"Relax, I will not let you fall." He whispered into her ear. She jumped slightly as his breath touched her ear. Alex tried to calm down, she really did. She let go of Legolas's pants and loosened her grip on Arod's mane. But she still was uncomfortable with riding. She chewed on her lip nervously the entire way to the camp.

They rode for ten minutes through a flat plain. The grass was tall and unkempt, but beautiful in its wild state. Out from clusters of green grew small yellow and black flowers. They rose taller than the grass and swayed in the wind as it blew. The grass itself shifted and twirled as the wind passed. It looked like a vast green ocean that was disrupted only by outcroppings of stone and stretched on for miles. The air was sweet and the breeze brushed against Alex's cheeks like a caress. But if the breeze was caressing her skin, then the sun was kissing it. It shone down on her pale skin, warming her and illuminating her copper hair. She had never thought of the sun and wind as a blessing, but she would make damn sure she would never take it for granted again.

White dots began to rise on the horizon. At first Alex was unsure of what they were, but it became clearer as they got closer that they were white tents. There were a set of larger tents that were erected opposite of each other and were separated by a smattering of smaller ones. A larger banner was flown by each main tent. One had an ebony background and a white flowering tree in the foreground. It was displayed on the right. The one on the left was familiar, a background of green and a border of red with a white horse. It was proudly flown on the left.

Alex's nervousness was growing to unbearable levels as they grew closer. There were a lot more men here than back at Isengard and they were better armed as well. Spying the flashes of silver that could only be swords and spears, Alex gulped. Had she chosen the right people to help her?


	5. Chapter 5 Safe at last

Chapter 5: Safe at last

Disclaimer: None of these dudes belong to me blah blah blah. Only Alex does. *sigh*

**Thanks to NarutoGril839, Overthough T, angellsss, Lady Seiryu, catnamedRiver, estrela jem, Pyrogrl94, MerlinGarwin, Lillystar610, Deep and Devastating, Jesabellerrific. NejisDarkNymph, Fury of the Acheri, Niveia, Bookworm118, Gracey Lily, and Queen of Hale for their participation in letting me know that they enjoy this story. **

**Kyskhet: thanks for reviewing and glad you enjoy. I'll update as soon as I can.**

**CountryGirl6699: Yay indeed! Legolas has appeared! =D. **

**Amrawo: lol thank you, I was very surprised by all the immediate love. Like the next day BAM! I had tons of emails, haha. You'll just have to find out if Gandalf can fix her up, won't ya? Bwaahahahaha!**

**Pantoffel616: Really you thought this chapter was better? I was so unhappy with this chapter that I almost scrapped it and started over. I edited it so many times its unreal. Did they sound better? Less forced? Bad actors, huh? I'll try to work on that, I'll make i so flowing river like that you'll drown. Lol, not really, but I'll try to make it sound more natural. **

**Watergoddesskasey: yay! Another happy reviewer = }**

**Ita-chan01: lol, thank you. I happen to enjoy my awsum sauce on top of ice cream, how about you? **

**Ella: Thank god she isn't! Lol, I think I worry about her being Sue-ish way too much so thanks for that. I'm trying my best =} **

It took the company maybe ten minutes or less to arrive at the tent village. As they were entering, they were greeted by another band of men. These men were dressed in black and silver armor as opposed to the others gold and black. They spoke the same language but it was accented different. Instead of the lilting accent of Eomer it was crisp and structured. The soldiers rallied together and began to swap information.

"-Orc prowling around the outskirts of Fangorn. Keep a sharp eye out for-"

Alex leaned forward slightly in curiosity. Orcs? Was that what those things were called? Legolas didn't pause to speak to the other soldiers, though they bowed their head as he passed. Arod walked forward through the camp.

The camp was divided into two separate areas with a large common tent in the center and two other large tents to the far end of either side. Tables were set up outside the tent and almost every seat was filled with a man. There were no women anywhere that Alex could see.

'_This looks like a giant sausage fest. I wonder if…'_ She looked sneakily up at Legolas, _'Well, he is pretty. Almost too pretty…' _

He glanced down at Alex as she scrutinized him. The sparkles in his blue eyes and the way the wind and sun worked in unison to lift and make his hair shine was so ridiculously surreal and _pretty_ that Alex had to fight down giggles. Legolas cocked an eyebrow curiously and the sun hit the blonde hair, making it glow as well. Unable to hold back the urge to laugh, Alex turned around and laughed.

Or tried to anyway. The laughter never bubbled up past her throat. The pain set in, constricting her chest and throat, cutting off her breathing. Legolas held her tighter to his chest as her body seized up from the pain. Alex wanted to throw a fit.

_'What the hell? I can't even laugh?' _she snarled mentally, wanting to hit something. She fumed for a while before settling on sulking. But she didn't have the chance to sulk for very long. Alex felt eyes on her as Legolas continued to guide Arod through the camp. She followed the sensation to the left and was taken aback by the blatant staring of a ring of men. They were gathered around a small campfire, sharpening their swords and eating a late lunch. One was actually in the process of eating, his biscuit stuck in mid air on its way to his mouth. The other beside him was frozen in the process of sharpening his weapon. Alex watched them as they watched her.

The one with the food had deep green eyes and curly sandy brown hair. He was wearing pants and shirt in earth colors and a deep green cloak around his small shoulders. The one next to him looked the same, only his features were less boyish than the eating man. But then as Alex took a better look at them, she noticed that they were both very small, almost the size of a small child. What the hell was that one doing with a sword?

The man with the sword reached over and slapped the others mouth shut and said something that made him look at the ground, ashamed. Alex furrowed her brow in confusion. What had he said? The one with the food hesitantly looked back at her. A smiled pulled at her lips and she waved at him. He started and waved back, a curious look on his face.

"That is Pippin and the one next to him is Merry. They are hobbits, a very curious breed. No doubt this is not the last you will see of them." Legolas whispered lowly in her ear. Alex twitched away from him slightly and looked back at him, skeptically. Hobbits?

"We are here." He announced and fluidly dismounted the horse. Alex was weighed down by the armor so her departure from the horse was more of a fall than anything. Legolas caught her as she slid down as if she weighed nothing and steadied her on the grass floor. The cool tickling blades of grass felt wonderful on her aching feet. Alex wiggled her toes into the grass and smiled slightly. A hand touched her shoulder tentatively and Legolas regretfully brought her from her reverie and led her inside the tent.

The tent was the size of a large house in height and width. It obviously wasn't just some medieval dude's tent. The floors were a motley carpet of furs. They felt better on her feet than the grass did. They were a myriad of different colors and patterns, but none that Alex recognized. But then again she wasn't exactly Ranger Rick so they may have been from animals she knew. Things are bound to look different when the skin is off the body, instead of on it. There was a table in the corner that was piled high with papers and another table that had chairs surrounding it. It was probably used for eating. A thick sheet separated a section of the tent from the other rooms.

"Legolas? Who is this?" A curious voice asked from Alex's left. Her head snapped to look at the owner of the voice and was awestruck by the woman in front of her. She was tall and willowy, with a thin, graceful figure. Her hair was a deep brown and it shined from the firelight. The woman was gorgeous, with light brown eyes, smooth blemish free skin and soft features. Alex was embarrassed immediately; her cheeks burning hotly underneath the mud and bruises. She wanted to hide behind Legolas.

"She is a friend. She was found as we searched Fangorn for any orc."

"Does she have name?" the woman asked tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. Alex noted immediately that she too had a pointed ear. Was she an elf as well?

"I would imagine so, but she is unable to communicate. I fear dark sorcery has taken her speech." The lady looked Alex over from head to toe then smiled softly at her.

"I am Arwen. I am sure you no longer wish to be in those clothes, perhaps you would like to bathe and receive fresh ones?" Alex nodded repeatedly, eager to be out of Pierced-Face's armor and cleaned.

"If you are willing to part with her, Legolas, you can leave her in my care. Aragorn desired to see you when you returned, so it would be best if you went to him."

Alex looked up at the tall elf; he seemed torn between staying with her and seeking out whoever Aragorn was. His blue eyes searched hers and Alex smiled back at him, nodding.

"Very well, I leave you in the capable hands of Arwen." He seized her hand as she started to walk away. His blue eyes burned into her green ones as he brought his lips to her scraped knuckles. He kissed the skin tenderly and reverently. The gentle touch of his soft lips made Alex's blush burn to her neck and ears. He let her hand go slowly and made his way to the door. Legolas turned to look at her once more before exiting, his eyes smoldering back at her. Alex let out an audible breath of air as he left. 'Whoa,' she thought, ' that was intense. And strange.'

"I had a bath drawn but I think you are in more need of it than I." Alex turned to face Arwen and was confused by the knowing look in her eyes. Following Arwen through the thick screen, Alex was hit by a warm gust of steam. She opened her eyes and observed the room with glee.

There was a large tub, big enough to fit two people in it, filled to the brim with water. The water was so hot that there was steam curling off the surface. The floor wasn't fur in this room; it was yellow wooden planks that were similar to wood flooring. A vanity dresser with small bottles and tubs of cream were arranged on the surface, their reflection showing in the mirror behind them. A smaller table was set near the tub and it too held containers. A thin screen was behind the tub, with the shadow of a stool reflecting on the white fabric.

"Can you get undressed with no help?" Alex nodded, and began to fumble with the buckles on the armor. They were slicked down with mud and blood. Alex inhaled deeply to calm her nerves; her fingers quit shaking and she was able to unclasp the buckles. She pulled the garment off her body awkwardly with one hand and set it gently on the floor. She heard a gasp from across the room.

Alex glanced up to find the elf woman staring at her body, hand over her mouth. Glancing down at her almost naked torso, Alex crinkled her nose in disgust. It was no wonder why Arwen was staring. Under the rusty chainmail, Alex wore only her bra. There was evidence at the sides that it was once white, but looking at the front one would have never noticed. Pierced-Face's blood had dried into the fabric staining it a deep brown. There were also splotches of red from Alex's own blood and from the rusty metal. Her stomach and chest were a patchwork of blue, red and yellowing bruises; dried mud cracked and peeled off her skin in random places, showing fresh cuts and pinches from the chainmail. The metal links were not of high quality so it had often pinched and ripped at Alex's skin as it bunched. The bruise on her collarbone had healed slightly, turning a yellow green with spots of blue but there was fresh red color where Eomer had used the arm to leverage her down. Her stomach was shrunken and her ribs were easily visible. The one meal a day had done damage to her weight.

"You have endured much pain and suffering, yet you still live. You must have been very brave." Arwen stepped closer and ran a cool, soft finger down Alex's collarbone. It didn't cause any discomfort but Alex stepped back before the finger had trailed the full length down her bruise.

"Let me assist you in bathing. It will be easier for you and will cause less damage if you try to wash yourself." Alex shook her head no. She was not going to get naked in front of this woman! That would be beyond embarrassing and she really didn't want Arwen to see her in the state she was in to begin with. Alex lowered her gaze. Arwen drew Alex's eyes up to meet hers with a gentle hand.

"There is no shame in needing help from others. Letting others assist you shows true strength in knowing that you cannot accomplish everything by yourself." Alex sighed and nodded minutely, still not enjoying the idea of needing another's help to bathe.

Arwen lifted the heavy mail from Alex's body, maneuvering it slightly to remove it without injuring her arm. As soon as it came off, Alex sucked in a deep breath, enjoying the loss of the weight across her chest. The metal garment was placed gently next to the chest plate. She had little trouble unlacing the leather chaps and pulling them down off Alex's thin frame, but when Arwen encountered the button on the jeans, she was confused. Alex undid the catch single handedly and unzipped them as well. A small upward twitch from Arwen's eyebrows indicated that she was confused.

"What a strange piece of clothing," she commented, touching the material, "It is made of a fabric I have never encountered before." They too joined the discarded items of clothing. Arwen crossed the room to pull a large basin from a cupboard under the vanity and a soft looking piece of cloth. She dipped the basin in the bath water and set it on the small table, clearing away the bottles to make room.

"Bring that stool for you to sit on." She instructed Alex, pointing to the one behind the screen. By the time Alex had pulled it over, Arwen was sitting on the chair for the vanity and had added something to the water in the basin to make it smell heavenly. Alex sat down on the stool in her underwear, slightly skittish about the whole ordeal. Arwen scooted closer to Alex, pulling her right arm gently in to her grip. The cloth was dipped in the basin and squeezed out before Arwen rubbed it across Alex's filthy skin.

Alex let out a sigh of contentment as the hot damp cloth began to melt away the dirt and grime from her skin. Slowly Alex began to see white patches of skin in between the different colored bruises. Arwen had to empty the basin three times just to clean Alex's two arms and chest. Time seemed to slow as Arwen rubbed every inch of her exposed skin clean. Alex almost felt like she was going to fall asleep, but was woken from her peaceful state as the warm cloth rubbed her cheek.

"Let's see what you really look like under all that dirt." Arwen teased her ward good-naturedly. Alex let a smile twitch her lips at the elf. Arwen was very thorough with cleaning Alex's face; she had even wanted to clean the inner flesh of Alex's lips. She had let Arwen, an amused sort of look plastered to her face as the elf concentrated on the task.

"There, now a beautiful lady fit for the courts of kings sits in front of me. Into the tub with you, to heal your aches." Arwen stood and emptied the basin before filling it full again, "Leave your hair out and I will wash and comb it for you. Though I may only be successful in ridding it of some of these knots. Others may have to be cut out." Alex nodded expecting that not all of her hair would be salvageable. She had dreads growing for god's sake.

Arwen picked a bottle up off the dresser and let a few drops spill into the water before Alex got in. Alex stripped and climbed into the warm water, a sigh bursting its way from her mouth. The water soothed her aches and lessened the pain in her right shoulder. Whatever Arwen had put in the water, made it dull the pain in her wounds. Her hair fell out of the tub and Arwen sat behind her with the basin of water, patiently coaxing dirt and the grease from her wavy, copper locks.

"Your hair is unlike anything I've ever seen." Arwen commented, "It is the color of fire, yet it has waves like the ocean." Alex let out a small breath of air, wishing that she could grunt at least. But there was no sound allowed through her throat. Exhaustion hit Alex like a truck (and she knew exactly how that felt), forcing her eyes to droop and slide shut. She dreamed of oceans of blue and fields of blonde.

"My Lady?" Arwen asked quietly. She got no reply from the sleeping girl. A small smile twitched at Arwen's full lips, to fall asleep now of all times. She shook her head and continued to wash her hair. The grime was mostly gone, but there were still tangles plaguing the fiery strands. If the elleth tried to take a brush to the hair as it was now, it would rip the woman's scalp off.

Arwen stood and walked to her vanity, sifting through her bottles of products, looking for one in particular.

"Where have I put it?" she asked herself softly, "Ah." She plucked a large, glass container from the center of the chaos and sat back down on her chair. The content of the bowl was a thick cream the color of the Mallorn tree leaves in the summer. It was made by her grandmother Galadriel. Arwen had been a rambunctious child, getting into all kinds of mischief and returning at the day's end in a dirty, ripped dress and her hair in snarls. So her grandmother created the cream to ease the combing of her hair. Arwen scooped out a liberal amount and began to smear it into the woman's hair, concentrating on the places where the strands had started to curl together in tubes. The cream slid through her hair, parting it with ease and adding a glistening shine to it.

Soft footsteps sounded out in the main room of the tent and voices alerted Arwen to the presence of her husband and her fellow elf.

"Gandalf is not here, he left to take care of his own business-"

"When will he be back? I don't know if anyone else can negate the spell." Arwen hastily capped the lid back onto the jar of cream and set it on the floor on her way out. Her husband, Aragorn, and Legolas were standing opposite of each other, both looking flustered.

"Am I interrupting?" Arwen asked, putting some warning into her voice. Both looked over to her, surprise on their faces. They had not heard her enter.

"No, we were just discussing the woman Legolas brought here." Aragorn brushed a hand over his face, scratching at his cheek.

"Yes, well speaking of, keep your voices down. She is resting." Arwen sat down at the table, watching Legolas. His eyes lit up and he eagerly turned to her.

"How is she?"

"She has many injuries but her arm was the worst of them. I fear that if it is not healed properly that she will never regain full use of it. Her body shows signs of going long periods with little food. She is thin, very thin." The light in Legolas's eyes dimmed and Arwen was able to see anger in them. A revelation hit Arwen as to why this woman meant so much to the usual loft elf.

"She is your life partner." She stated. Aragorn started and looked over at her, then at Legolas. The elf in question was silent for a moment, and then he nodded.

"I believe that she is." Aragorn looked at him in shock before sighing.

"It will be hard to convince her." Aragorn sat down next to Arwen, "Men do not understand the idea of life partners very well." A mischievous grin pulled on Legolas's lips.

"Then I accept the challenge to win her over." Arwen rose and laid a hand on Legolas's cheek and left for the bathing room.

"Then you have made your choice? I fear for you, mellon nin, this challenge will be more difficult than you think."

"I understand that it will be difficult, even painful at times. But, Estel, I am sure that it is she. When I heard her crying, felt her fear of death and then her resignation, I felt as if I had died as well." Legolas slipped onto the chair, his eyes clouded with pain.

_The fear that had come over him when he had sensed her presence in that battle. The agony of the thought that he might lose his life partner before he had even found her tore at his heart. He had felt helpless. Then the sound of harsh, panting sobs had his sensitive ears. Orcs do not cry like that. Then the absolute terror that gripped him that was not his own emotion had him whirling around and searching through the Rohirrim, searching desperately. Then Eomer was standing, sword above his head, with his life partner at his feet, on her knees. The thought of that image still sent small spirals of hopelessness and fear through him. _

Legolas opened his eyes as Arwen went from one from to another, a deep green dress in her hands. She must have woken up. Excitement thrilled through him and he stood eagerly. The woman that exited the bathroom was not the same one that entered. As Legolas saw her in a better condition, he felt his heart clench with happiness.

Her skin was pale, but the shade looked natural on her and contrasted nicely with her forest green eyes. She was shorter than most women that Legolas had seen, but she was not stocky. In fact, she was thin and willowy in her stature. Her fire red hair fell about her shoulders and back in small, wavy curls that were still damp from her bath. Her nose was straight with a slight upturn at the end and a sprinkling of faded freckles dotted the bridge of it and her cheeks. The green elvish dress was an ill fit for her, seeing as it was Arwen's, who was taller. It pooled around the ground and hung loosely on her shoulders.

Legolas was in awe of her beauty, but even though she was gorgeous the mistreatment of her body was evident. A yellowing bruise was spread across her left cheekbone and traveled into her hairline. Her lips were cracked and looked as if she had chewed on them until they had bled. On her right shoulder was a large multicolored bruise that spanned her entire collarbone. Across the visible section of her chest there were small cuts that littered it as if they were caused by a garment. Scrapes were visible on her small hands across the palms and her knuckles. Her right arm had been tied into a more secure position against her chest.

As soon as she saw Legolas, a wide smile pulled at her abused lips. Legolas thought his heart would explode from pure joy.

Alex felt insanely out of place in the dress. Sure it was pretty and it was comfortable, but the last time she had worn a dress was the last Christmas she had spent with her mother. And that was only because her mother had begged her. So now she stood, freshly clean, in a dress that didn't quite fit her very well in front of two men that were looking at her intently. Had anyone looked at her this way back when she was in the real world, where things made sense, instead of this messed up dream world she created for herself, then she would have knocked their lights out. Staring was rude. But she found herself smiling at Legolas, anyway.

Alex shifted her weight from one foot to the other apprehensively waiting for them to finish staring. Arwen stepped up and touched her left shoulder gently. Alex sidestepped away from her, but she had succeeded in getting the redhead's attention.

"This is Aragorn, my husband." The man was tall, the same height as Legolas maybe slightly taller, with shoulder length ebony hair and piercing grey eyes.

"My lady." He bowed his head slightly and Alex stuck her left hand out to shake, instead he took it and kissed the scraped knuckles tenderly. Alex was a little put off by the motion. It had felt different when Legolas had done it. He released her hand and stood, studying her a bit more.

"Legolas has informed me that you cannot speak. Can you form words?" Alex nodded and mouthed out yes, Aragorn frowned, "Then it is the sound of words that you have lost. Who has done this to you?"

Saruman and Isengard were the first two words out of her mouth followed by Pierced-Face and Butt-Ugly. Anger was evident on Legolas's face, but the only thing that was readable on Aragorn's face was that he was thinking. His brow furrowed and his eyes seemed far away. The air was tense and then it was interrupted by the rumble of Alex's stomach. Alex blushed heavily and touched her stomach with her right hand. She was astonished by how far the dress had to be pushed in so she actually reached her skin. She really had lost a ton of weight.

"If you come with me, you can get some food and meet Merry and Pippin, Lady…" Legolas trailed off and Alex mouthed her name. Legolas was puzzled.

"Elissë?" he asked confused. Alex nodded, good enough right? Until she could speak properly by herself. He laced his arm through hers and brought her out into the open, in search of food and in search of hobbits.

**A/N: I am a terrible person. A loathsome person even. I say that I'll update every week and you guys go without a chapter for what, two weeks? Horrible, absolutely unforgivable. I will be ready to beg for forgiveness if my readers call for it. Anyway, it will probably be a while until my next update. I have like five projects for school due all at once and I have procrastinated on every one of them. *sigh* I really should stop doing that. Anyway, message if you have the time or if you would like to point out any errors, inconsistencies or if you would like me to beg. Thank you, dearies. **


	6. Chapter 6 The Search for Hobbits

The Search for Hobbits

Obviously I don't own The Lord of the Rings. If I did though, Sméagol definitely wouldn't have turned out to be a traitorous twat. Just saying.

Thanks to DarkAngel620, Horserider15, elvenprincess321003, Shadowsammy, nanigirl15, maidenlegolas, NarayaEdea, Rayne91, lillambdragon, Trunksymia, cutepenname, Erini, TheGirlInTheBackRound, KHandFF7fanforever, animefanatic13, LadyStarDustNoir, UchihaAkia, Anemrac947, HelzLckyAngl, Lunaris Phoenix, Dee123654, Star Delta, VampiricAngel4, xXDrowningInDarknessXx, bleedingcrimson, Gluedinthesaddle, BamYurrDead, 009, GoodMorningCampers, ILikeBooks94, SimplyMarvy, just courtney., JimmyTaylor15, greenrosebriar, Blooddance, catcat2000, redcatlover22,

CountryGirl6699: You are an awesome reviewer, didn't even ask for my groveling. What a sweetheart. And you'll just have to see about her voice, won't ya?

Gunitatsuhiko: I am seriously ecstatic that you are serious in your liking of this story. Lol, I was freaking out as soon as I saw serious. I was just 'oh no, Guni doesn't like it anymore! NNOOOOOEEES!' but then I read the rest and was happy again. :]

Amrawo: Woooot! As soon as I can

Watergoddesskasey: Glad you like it and I'm SO SORRY! *whimpers* I felt so bad about not updating but the chapter was just such crap when I first wrote it and then I had like 352986835 other things to do and-and-and *bows* I beg for your forgiveness!

Xxpurplespoonxx: oops missed your review for the last chapter. Oh wells, you got your wish for more updates eh? How's that for service? Lol thanks for reviewing!

KyraHartsYou: lol, I'm not actually sure if I want her to find her backpack or not. I'm thinking that she may find some of it, but probably not the clothes. Cuz I like to torture Alex, bwhahahaha!

Ita-chan01: X3 oooh cherries. I would murder for maraschino cherries, not even kidding. And sprinkles are the gifts of gods. I eat them straight from the container. =D

Trunksymia: You get more when I get less school work. :D (Holy shit, bro, you favorited me for everything. I am seriously in awe of you and I'm blushing)

Amadoni: Did you know that the "interesting story" part of your review turned up in blue? I think that was interesting. I'll update as soon as I am able.

REDROBINS007: ..does anyone really write fanfiction that turns out shitty in the end? It will an ending fitting for the story I hope. And I can't tell you if she gets her voice back! That will ruin it all!

Ereneviana: Why thank you. She's a fun character to write and happens to be one of my favorites. :D

Alex wanted to run through the green grass and roll around in it, soaking up the sunlight and breathing the scent of the outdoors. She wanted to watch the clouds roll by in the crystal blue sky, yelling out what they look like, like she used to do with her brother. She wanted to pick flowers and rub their soft petals across her cheeks. She wanted to frolic with the bunnies and other woodland creatures, petting them and naming them.

However in her current state, small people and food would have to satisfy her.

There was hardly anyone who didn't have a pot of something stewing over a fire in the campsite. The mingling aroma of different kinds of soups and meats was making Alex dizzy. But she and Legolas had a specific quest in mind that couldn't afford distractions such as food. THE SEARCH FOR HOBBBITS! Alex curiously peered around white tent after white tent, looking for her soon to be hobbit buddies. Legolas stayed by her side as she searched, a smile pulling on his lips. He had insisted that they go straight to the hobbits and the food, but Alex wanted to explore. She had been trapped in the small cell for so long that she wanted to see the open space she was staying in at the moment.

Unfortunately this lead the current situation she was stuck in. Alex had led her and Legolas through the camp, curling around tent after tent. Soon they all started to look the same. Alex was lost, but she refused to let Legolas take control. She got them into this mess, so she was going to find their way out. Alex paused at the divide between the two campsites and drummed her fingers on her chin, looking right and left. 'Where the hell… '

A small chuckle behind her had an annoyed pout flashing across her face. This was not funny. This was a travesty of epic proportions!

"Perhaps, Lady Elissë, if we had taken a left instead of a right," Legolas stated smiling at her, eyes sparking with mirth. Alex shook her head firmly. She made the right decision to turn left. Now that she was at the divide she could follow it back to the large path that they had taken to get to Arwen and Aragon's tent. Alex set off, her stride confident and purposeful. Legolas simply took two large strides and caught up to her, content to let her led wherever. At the larger path littered with horse tracks and trodden grass, she turned on to it and soon found her goal: the hobbits.

The boyish one, Pippin, was still eating and his mouth was going a mile a minute as he talked to his companion. His chewed food was easily visible to his friend, as was clear by the greenish hue to his face.

"Pippin! Shut your mouth and do not talk when you're eating!" He finally snapped, throwing a small rock at the man.

"Bu-, Merry, I cahn shhtil taaalk wif foo in my mouff." Pippin garbled out. Merry threw a slightly larger rock at him. Before they could see Alex, she darted in front of them. There was a long stretch of silence between the three of them. It wasn't tense silence, it was shocked curious silence.

"You're the goblin woman!" Pippin exclaimed, pointing at her and falling back slightly. Alex cocked her head confused. Goblin woman?

"Pippen!" hissed Merry, before turning to face Alex, "I'm dreadfully sorry for him, miss, he was dropped as a child."

"Hey! I was not!" Pippin protested, springing back up in his seat.

"I'm Meriodoc Brandybuck and this is Peregrin Took, most call us Merry and Pippin. What's your name?"

"This is Lady Elissë." Legolas' voice floated over her shoulder and Alex jumped, whirling around to face him. How had he snuck up on her like that? She hadn't even heard him coming!

"Legolas! Is she a friend of yours?" Pippin asked, innocently. Legolas nodded and looked sideways at Alex, making eye contact.

"I would like to believe that we are friends." Alex grinned at him, before turning back to the hobbits and, more pointedly, the skillet full of what looked like bacon and green tomatoes. Her stomach rumbled and the hobbits looked at her in surprise. She grinned sheepishly and pointed to their food and then back to her.

"Certainly, My lady, we would be honored if you joined us in elevensies. I think the men here call it brunch, I prefer elevensies, myself. " Merry chattered away as he scooped the bacon and tomatoes onto a metal plate.

"Sit down, the both of you, we can even cook up more food if Miss Elissë is not satisfied with leftovers, though leftover bacon always tasted better than fresh bacon to me." Pippin pointed to a larger log that had been dragged near the fire. Alex set down on it, cautious of the wood snapping under her. Legolas sat on her left

"Lady Elissë has never heard of hobbits and she was curious about you two. Perhaps you could tell her some of the stories you told to the fellowship." Legolas commented. Merry passed Alex the plate of lukewarm bacon and tomatoes while Pippin placed a biscuit on it. She smiled and nodded her thanks, before tucking in. She balanced the plate precariously on her knees and ate rapidly with her left hand. She was a bit uncoordinated but she got the food from point A) the plate to point B) her mouth.

The bacon was delicious, not too crispy but not too wobbly. It had the perfect amount of fat and meat to make the flavor burst in her mouth. Alex closed her eyes in pure flavorful bliss and was worried momentarily that she might have a bacon induced orgasm.

"Never heard of hobbits? Why is it wherever we go nobody knows of hobbits?" Pippin commented, crossing his arms in front of his chest. Merry shook his head.

"Because, Pip hardly any hobbits leave the Shire and I wouldn't mind telling a few hobbit stories to Miss Elissë." Alex opened her eyes and looked away from her plate of bacon, an eager look on her face.

"Well, which one to tell, how about the story of the Green Dragon? That's always been a favorite of mine." Pippin chimed in and Merry nodded after some thinking.

"Well, the Green Dragon is a pub in the Shire, best ale every brewed in Middle Earth, but the name is more than just a name you see. Back when the owner, Grollo was a small lad—"

Merry went on to tell the tale of Grollo and his quest around Middle Earth to find himself and to find the perfect ingredient to brewing his ale. Alex was held captive by the expressive hobbits tale. He used his body, facial expression, Pippin as a prop, and sound effects to make the story come alive. Alex could nearly feel the heat of the green dragons fire, smell the sulfur, and hear his roar. Her heart pounded and her eyes widened in fear as Grollo just barely managed to evade the dragon. Her right hand burned with the urge to draw the scene of Grollo and the Dragon. She tried to move the arm and as she did hot pain curled down her side and arm. Alex attempted to smother the gasp of pain but she was unable to. Legolas had turned to her in a heartbeat, concern blatant in his eyes.

"Are you unwell? Do you wish to retire?"He asked her quietly, drawing her attention to him. Alex inhaled slowly through her nose and then out, just as slow, through her mouth. The pain lessened in her body to a dull ache and she shook her head at Legolas. She definitely wanted to hear how Grollo's story ended.

"And then," Merry whispered, "he found it." Alex leaned in curious, "Grollo found the secret ingredient to his famous ale." She nodded to continue him on. What was the ingredient? What had he found?

"Nobody knows what his ingredient is, but it's known for certain that it's what makes his ale the best. He fought his way through goblin hoards and wolves to make it back to the Shire." Alex frowned; well that was an anticlimactic ending.

"A trademark to hobbit tales, an ending that is always left open, for then what would the hobbits have to gossip about?" Legolas commented, his eyes squinting as he smiled. Merry and Pippin both laughed.

"We would find something else, never you fear." Now that the story was over Alex felt drowsiness start to creep in, but there was one more thing she wanted to do before the end of the day. She looked over at Legolas and nudged him slightly with her knee to get his attention. As soon as they made eye contact, Alex gently nodded her head to the side.

"Please excuse us, Merry, Pippin, though I'm sure Lady Elissë will love to hear more of your stories in the future." They all stood, the men bowing to each other, but Alex couldn't contain herself. Even though they had explained they were men, not children, Alex had been a big sister: Once a big sister, always a big sister. She enveloped the smaller men with a tight, one-armed hug before waving and walking off with Legolas.

"I don't recall Pippin ever turning that shade before." Legolas commented drily as they walked away from the campsite and Alex grinned wide. She shrugged and walked away from the camp. Legolas paused behind her as she neared the edge.

"My Lady?" he questioned. Alex turned back at him to see the confusion on his face. She looked over the flowing field and back at him, motioning with her head for him to follow. He did so without hesitation and soon found a comfortable pace beside her.

They must have walked for a good five minutes before Alex found the perfect spot. The tents were no longer so close and they were alone by themselves in the middle of a large field. Alex breathed in deep, enjoying the scent of the woods, earthy and filled with something that was uniquely the smell of the outdoors. The grass swayed in the breeze and ticked her ankles underneath her green dress. She looked around and nodded. The definitely was the perfect place.

The grass was shorter there and small yellow and white flowers sprouted from the soil and wiggled their way up beneath the soft grass. The earth was sloped slightly as the small hill dropped downwards. Alex sat down and lay back in the grass, running her fingers through the soft stems. She closed her eyes and inhaled as she laid her cheek against the green vegetation. She heard Legolas' clothes shift slightly as he fidgeted.

She looked up at him to see him uncomfortably looking away from her, a pink tinge to his cheeks. Was he blushing? Alex reached over and grabbed a handful of his breaches tugging on them to get his attention. He looked down at her, eyes unreadable and cheeks darkening further. Alex patted the ground next to her and he hesitated. Alex yanked on his clothing and frowned. Legolas sat down beside her and lay out in the grass, a very short distance away. He was so close to her left side that Alex could feel his body heat.

She looked up at the clear blue sky and watched the clouds go by. If it were she and her brother here, they would be fighting to yell out the objects they saw in the sky. They always turned everything into a competition. A melancholy smile graced her features and Legolas noticed.

"As a child, I used to find patches in the trees where the sky was visible and watch the clouds go by. My father said it was foolish, that I could be doing better things with my time than watching the sky. It wasn't as if I wasn't ever going to see it again." He said. Alex looked over at him, watching him as he talked. His face wasn't very expressive. It seemed as if he had perfected the art of being a stone and was reluctant to change that. His eyes, however, could be read like an open book. There was sadness in his eyes and regret.

"My father is a good ellon and he does the best that he can for his people, but when it came to me, sometimes I fear he was too harsh." Alex nodded, knowing the feeling, "I wasn't able to enjoy my childhood as an elf should, but if it weren't for his constant attention to me I fear that I wouldn't have met many of the people I know today."

Alex reached out and put a hand on his shoulder tentatively and tried her best to express that she empathized with him. Her mother had been very expectant of her as well. An artist was the last thing she wanted her oldest daughter to be. Legolas gently lay his hand over hers and nodded.

"You have a parent like my father?"

'_My mother_,' she mouthed to him. Legolas nodded and released her hand as she tugged it away from him. She placed it in the grass beside her body, but she could still feel the heat from his hand and it tingled down to her fingertips. She sighed, slightly frustrated wishing she could speak, she wished she could tell him about her mother and about her brother. She wished she could say anything at all.

Almost as if he could feel her frustration, Legolas placed his larger hand over hers once more. His thumb smoothed circles in her skin soothingly. Out of his mouth flowed a language Alex had never heard before. If she thought his voice was like music in English than this language was liquid silk smoothly spilling from his lips. It sent a rush through her body that was accompanied by a deep sense of calm. She moved her head so she could watch him as he talked. He was the most gorgeous thing she had ever seen. His hair was platinum blonde in the sun, his skin was even fairer and his eyes seemed to reflect bluer than the sky. He continued tracing circular patterns on her hand and singing to her in that language. Drowsiness crept up in the wake of the ridiculous calm she was experiencing. Her eyes shut slowly and dragged open again and again, until finally they fell shut in sleep.

Legolas smiled, still tracing the soft skin on her hand. He hadn't expected elvish to have that kind of effect on her but he was pleasantly pleased. His mere voice had sent her into a calm so deep that she had fallen asleep. Then he frowned, guilt spreading within him. Was that taking advantage of her? Of their bond? His intentions were pure. He merely had wanted to calm her down. The level of frustration and anger he had felt from her was outstanding and he wanted her to enjoy the outdoors. Instead he sent her to sleep with elvish. Legolas frowned deeper but it lessened as she shifted slightly in the sun, a content smile on her face. This would be the last time he would use it until she fell asleep, Legolas decided.

The pair of them stayed outside until the sun began to fall. Then Legolas scooped the still sleeping woman up into his arms and walked back to the camp. Arwen agreed to let her sleep in the corner of the main room in their tent. A blanket was hung up around her to ensure privacy in her temporary lodgings. She curled into the soft furs as Legolas gently lowered her to the floor. His chest constricted as she sighed contentedly. He brushed away a strand of hair from her face and traced the contours of her cheek lovingly before departing with a final word.

"Sleep well, meleth nin."

**Um, oh my god, yes I'm alive. Alive and extremely apologetic. There really is no excuse for this long absence but believe me, I've been drowning in school work and exams, but I'm on winter break now. So that means maybe I'll be able to write more chapters? Yay? Anyway, I've been working on a couple new fics but I'm unsure if I'll actually post them. I'll give you a hint on two of them and see if you can guess who they are. Man numero uno is from Naruto and he's all about the spandex :D (That should be easy, you have two choices) and numero dos is from what I label as a series man movies that has the Arnold in it. Guess away! And tell me if you'd read it, I'm curious to know what other kind of fics you guys are into. Review if you have time, if not oh wellss**


	7. Chapter 7 Changes to Come

Chapter 7

Thanks to the following for adding to their alerts and what not: frogstompinfun (your pen name almost made me cry, I happen to love frogs), Taz1995, Dragonrider 125, sci-fi-rocks, vampirelover2009, haha21 (hahahaha! Oh that's a great pen name), Phoenixgurl13, RomanticLamb, Sammiebaby703, Scarlet Rebelle, Rylia, Niaana, MiserysNightmare, Mikaela-vampire-lover, CreativeChica39, Debbiekolling, Skylar Kitten, Heartily Desire, quivering quill, DeadlySuicide, Kyrie Twilight, Sarcastic. Iorny, Codename Evera, Chaos-and-Insanity, Mangafan14, aridenere, TheSociopathOutcast, truebloodlover, sleepyPrincess, calh, FreyaChild, ninja-of-twilight, booklover786, bloodyangel, HarbringerLady, Guinevere de Lioncourt, horseluvr888, Clarissa Avila, Han-elujah, sarcasticpuppy, mz kitty, FloReader, TammLynn, Itachi523, Rachel11205, Minako-senpai, CherBoi, Black Thorns Entangled K, Maria Isabell (if she's still alive ;]), forestreject, Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967, the-JOYS-of-reading, Beloved of the Darkness, pandamanda and oceanluvr.

Amrawo: Thankies for the review. I'll update when I have time.

Dragonrider 125: Woot! Another happy reader! Thank you for reviewing and for the wonderful praise that stokes my ego. I think you negated the 'posh-ness' with the plz at the end, lol. You know I actually had to pause at the word posh. You confused me momentarily with crazy terms I am unfamiliar with. Is it British? Good job nonetheless.

CountryGirl6699: Thank you! Yeah, I had finals stacked on top of each other. One week was college finals and then the next week was high school finals. It was crazy time consuming and I'm glad it's over with. I'll do my best just for you because you asked so nicely!

Gunitatsuhiko: Thank you for the review, my favorite reviewer. Shhh don't tell the others it's our secret *winkey face*.

DarkAngel620: Yes, in my mind Legolas is a sweet, kind elf and I loves him so for it. The sweetness could also have been influenced by the amazing amounts of candy I've been eating. The sugar is seeping through my body system and out my fingers as writing. Ohhh nooooes!

Watergoddesskasey: WOOOT! Thank you!

Rylia: thanks for the advice and understanding. You sound like my mother. Wait…are you my mother? XD just kidding. Glad you like the story, thanks for reviewing, and I will be focusing on school harder just for you.

MiserysNightmare: Oh my gosh, thank you so much! I'm glad I've kept you alive for a little bit longer, hahaha. I'll get the next chapter out as soon as I am able.

Quivering Quill...you have an odd way of complimenting a person, but I thank you for your review. It seems you are enjoying my somewhat original mary sue story and I hope that you continue to love it.

Aridenere: Thank you for the review and honestly I didn't even notice the grammar mistakes. They were small, teeny, miniscule even. Glad you enjoy the story!

Kitsune Kokoro: I haven't forgot about this story, it's just been at the back of my mind. I go through phases of extreme like of one character. I have recently rediscovered Legolas and this story so don't worry, hopefully I'll be able to get some new chapters out. I'm glad you like it, thanks for the review!

Uroboros85: I'm glad you love the story and are reviewing! I'll update when I can.

Mz Kitty: Let me start this by saying that your intro completely threw me off, lol. I haven't been called 'dear' in a while and it made me feel loved. Also thank you for reviewing and for your compliments on Alex. Please keep an eye on her throughout the story and bash me with a brick if she ever gets to be like the perfect, annoying, angsty, and unrealistic Sues. I plan to have angst in store for her, but let me know if it gets out of hand. I thoroughly enjoyed reading your review, so keep 'em coming. And I haven't decided whether I want the books to exist in her world. I haven't really thought about it, but now that I am, I think that I'm just going to have her be ignorant of them. She's not really the reading type.

Ita-chan01: HELLS YEAH! LICK THE BOWL CLEAN TILL IT SPARKLES!

Minako-senpai: thank you for the lovely review and I'm glad you enjoy Alex and the story. She's more than a match for our royal highney-ness Leggy.

Maria Isabell: OH MY GOD, BREATHE! I'M TYPING AS FAST AS I CAN! DON'T DIE! OH SWEET JESUS! *types hurriedly bent over the keyboard*

Forestreject: why thank you for the compliment! Also thanks for the review!

Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967:Yay! Thanks for the review!

Haine Toliver (): I'm glad you enjoy it and as for chapter eight, it comes out after chapter seven which if your reading this has just been finished. :D thanks for the review!

Pandamanda: Thanks for the review and I'm glad you're enjoying the story. Don't die or I'll have to bury you next to Maria Isabell in my backyard :D

_"Wake up little witch," a deep sinister voice cooed in Alex's ear. Instantly fear jolted through her like an ice cure sliding down her body. Alex's eyes flew open and crouched above her was Saruman. His eyes were alight with a cold fury and his thin lips curled at the side in a malicious sneer. Alex's insides turned to jelly and she was frozen to the cold, obsidian stone she was sprawled on. _

_ Saruman let out a mocking chuckle and bent down to grip her chin in his bone thin fingers. The cold digits froze her skin and the ice stretched from her cheeks to cover her face. _

_ "You didn't think that you actually got away, did you?" the thick ice blanketed her entire face and crept down her neck to cover her body. As the tendrils reached her chest they sharpened into spikes and drove deep into her chest cavity. _

_ Alex let out a shrill shriek that deafened as it reverberated through her ice helmet. Blood seeped out around the five spikes drove deep into her. The icicles curved and spilt off into sections, plunging deeper into her body. Alex could feel her organs splitting around the sharp edges. The pain was unbearable. Black surrounded her vision as she screamed and begged for him to stop. Blood spurted from her lips and splashed against the ice coating her head, blocking her vision. _

_ "You're not going anywhere, little witch," Saruman whispered sweetly in her ear, "You're mine." The spikes drove further into her chest and Alex felt blood drip down onto her cheek as she coughed more up. The hot liquid pooled in her mouth and Alex choked on it, tears sliding down her bloody cheeks as she gurgled and gasped. She clenched her eyes tight as panic began to set in. Alex was going to die here, all alone. She was going to drown in her own blood with Saruman watching her. _

A harsh pain and a loud smack forced Alex to snap open her eyes in shock. Her cheek stung painfully but her chest was gripped with a debilitating pain. Her green eyes were open wide and shone with tears and pain. Her pupils were exaggerated and it made them look wild and feral. Alex was still seeing Saruman even as Legolas and Aragorn looked down at her. Legolas held her face, whispering words to her and stroking her sweaty brow while Aragorn pinned her hands to keep them from clawing at herself and them. Her unseeing eyes were glazed over and darting around. Her broken lips were stained crimson red from blood as she bit down on her already damaged flesh and coughed up bloody spit.

"Aragorn," Legolas whispered fear adding panic to his voice. Aragorn didn't acknowledge him, favoring action. He continued to hold her hands to the soft furs Alex slept on, watching as she rode out the night terror. She bucked and writhed, mouth open in silent screams. Green eyes stayed glazed over as she tossed and turned. Alex convulsions slowly diminished and she weakly twitched one last time, her eyes rolling into the back of her head as she stilled. The two men watched her silently.

"I think it's over." Aragorn said with a sigh and he released her hands. Legolas lowered her face onto he lap where she slept peacefully.

"A nightmare?" he whispered, watching Alex's peaceful face. How could a nightmare be that strong? It was as if she was battling Sauron himself.

"Night Terror," Aragorn corrected, "Chances are she won't remember it when she wakes up. Perhaps that's for the better, whatever it was about she need not experience it twice." Aragorn rose from the makeshift bed, pulled the curtain back to leave and, once he noticed Legolas was not following, paused. Legolas threaded his fingers through her sweat dampened hair and whispered to her softly in elvish. Whatever was said, Aragorn could not hear, but the lines that had gathered on Alex's brow smoothed and she fell into a deeper sleep. The look of wonder in Legolas's eyes was so strong that it sparkled and softened the intense blue.

"Come Legolas," his lifelong friend looked up at him and hesitation was clear in his eyes, "If you make her dependent on you without her consent, it is not only you who will suffer, but her as well." Legolas breathed a sigh out of his nose but nodded. He gently removed Alex's head from his lap and lowered it down onto the pillow where it had rested previously. In her sleep Alex shifted and burrowed herself underneath her blankets. A smile upturned Legolas's lips and he left her there in peace, following quietly after Aragorn.

"My lady,"

As soft hand shook Alex's shoulder, she noiselessly swatted at it, burying herself deeper into her bed. Not now, she thought, I was having the most wonderful dream of oceans and the yellow sand on the beach. A tight pain in her stomach followed by a gurgling growl prompted her to shift underneath the blankets. She'd found if you lay on your stomach when hungry it hurts less. So she did that in an attempt to get more sleep.

"Elisse, please, you've been asleep for two days," Alex's eyes shot open at that and she gaped like a fish at Arwen from her snuggle-bed. Two days? She'd been sleeping for two whole freaking days? No wonder her stomach was bitching at her. Arwen gently peeled the blankets off of Alex's body and she let the elfin woman, even though she really did love the softness of the fur. Now she knew why people skinned small animals and made them into coats. She would bet a hundred dollars that PETA had never experienced the wonderful sensation of silky fur sliding across their sore skin. If they had, they would be ripping the fur off small animals left, right and center.

"Here," Arwen presented Alex with a small, decorated glass jar full of a pale cream. Alex cocked a slim eyebrow at her but took the jar anyway. The small leaf decorations on it pressed into her sore fingers as she accepted it, "It's for the bruises and the soreness. If you apply it every morning and every night before bed, it will allow you to heal faster."

Alex nodded and uncapped the jar with difficulty. This one hand thing was beginning to be a giant pain in the ass. Right now if Arwen had said that doing the chicken dance while wearing a toaster hat would be good for her arm she'd give it a go. The cream was benign color of beige and smelled lightly of mint and something that was reserved for the fall. Arwen helped Alex remove the light sleeping dress she was wearing and apply the balm to the cuts, bruises and scrapes on her back. Alex generously applied the beige cream to her front. It spread on easy and soaked into her skin like a moisturizer. Tingles and warmth sparked across the areas where the cream was applied. It sent shivers up Alex's spine and she shivered in delight.

"It contains a plant called Elreth that is used to save heat in the extreme cold. The amount is so small that it relaxes the muscles and stimulates healing." Alex nodded shifting her liquidy muscles. She felt…fantastic, but hungry. Arwen helped her to her feet and slipped a sapphire blue dress around her frame. Alex wanted to sigh. More dresses.

"Come, Merry and Pippin have noticed your absence and have no doubt cooked their midday meal. Go and join them." Arwen gracefully swept Alex out of the tent in a matter of seconds. Alex stood blinking at the waving flap to the tent. Okay, that was a fast 'go on your way'. She shrugged to herself. Arwen must have a busy day ahead of her.

Alex padded barefoot towards where Merry and Pippin had been two days ago. Her feet enjoyed the soft tickling of the grass, the breeze on her face and the quiet of nature. Except she wasn't immersed in nature so where were all the noises? She glanced around and every single tent was empty. The white tents were shifting slightly in the wind but not a single soul was to be seen. The fires were put out, the horses were gone and the noise factor was so small that there couldn't be anyone within a fifty foot radius of her. Well, this was going to make finding the hobbits difficult.

"My lady!" a man's voice called from behind her, Alex whipped around. Lo and behold there were the two hobbits waving at her from a small alcove between two tents. Alex weaved between them, careful not to step on anything that may belong to the tent owner and plopped her behind down on a makeshift log chair beside the two.

"Are you feeling better?" Pippen asked cocking his head and leaning forward, "you were asleep for two whole days!" Alex shrugged and made a so-so motion with her hand. Merry was stoking a fire and, bless any God that existed, a pan of food was cooking above the leaping flame.

"Well, I feel better now that you're awake. Sleeping that long isn't natural. Remember my neighbor? Mr. Proudfoot? He went to sleep one day, feeling a little under the weather, and he never woke up. The doctor tried everything to rouse him, but they couldn't. Eventually he just kind of…died. Not a pleasant way to go," Pippin adjusted the frying pan and with a sharp look Merry adjusted it back.

"Old man Proudfoot was ancient. He was nearing his ninety-third birthday. Lady Elisse doesn't have to worry about that at all."

"It could have happened!"

Alex smiled and her chest constricted as she smother a giggle. These two boy-men were so cute. They must be close.

"You slept right through the celebration though. I don't know how you managed too, with all the dancing and feasting it was a noisy affair." Merry commented while flipping a thick cut of ham that was sizzling happily in the pan. Alex's mouth watered. God it looked so good, but what was this celebration they were talking about? She gave Merry a quizzical look.

"The celebration of the treaty between Rohan and Gondor," Merry picked up a plate and slid a piece of ham onto it. Alex received the plate and utensils with much happiness and began to devour it almost instantly. Pippin pulled a carton of eggs from behind him and cracked two open, letting them cooking in the ham grease that was left over. Mmmhm, sliders. Alex nodded. She honestly had no idea what he was talking about.

"Naturally that's why we're here, of course, as the only two hobbits that fought in the war directly." War? What war? Alex raised her gaze from the ham and stared at Merry and Pippin, fork/knife combo in the air.

"The War of the Ring of course," Pippin said tending to the eggs. There was one that was ready to be eaten. Alex raised her plate and Pippin dutifully placed it next to the half eaten slice of ham.

"Merry fought for the Rohirrim with Lady Eowyn and I fought with the Gondor guards," Pippin pulled a plate for himself and for Merry. Alex shrugged mentally to herself after eying the two hobbits up and down. Ok, if they say they fought a war then who am I to call them out, she thought shoveling more food into her face.

"But with the treaty being signed and all, Pippin and I should be leaving for the Shire soon," Sorrow struck Alex and she looked up at them in shock. They were leaving? Why were they leaving?

"We are here only for ceremonial purposes, Lady Elisse, our home is leagues away and we have to return eventually." Alex nodded and memories of her old home flashed through her mind. How far away was her home? Certainly more than leagues. She didn't know what had happened or how she had gotten here. Maybe she was in a different universe, like a rift in space or something. She really should have paid attention in science class. She silenced her sorrow with eggs and ham. Then she snickered mentally and wished the ham was green.

"My lady?" a soft voice brought Alex out of her internal dialogue. Merry had called her and he shifted his eyes behind her. Raising a slim eyebrow, Alex managed to turn around slightly.

Legolas was walking up to the three of them a smile on his face and the wind blowing his hair about. Alex glanced around, half expecting small minions to be following him with fans. A smiled pulled at her face and she let it take over. Legolas practically beamed back at her. He sat down next to her and bowed his head.

"Good morning, Lady Elisse. Good morning Merry, Pippin. You were missed at the meeting today," Merry shrugged.

"We figured that you had everything under control. Besides, we wanted to wait for Lady Elisse to wake up,"

"I wished to remain, but my duties were with Aragorn," he said looking at her, an apology in his eyes. Alex shrugged at him while eating her ham.

"They have decided to remain for another day then depart for their hometowns," Legolas commented off handedly. Alex's hand jerked in surprise on its way up to her mouth. They were leaving. All of them were leaving, not just Merry and Pippin. Where was she supposed to go? Would Aragorn allow her to come back with them to his hometown? Would Legolas want her to?

Her panic must have been easily seen in her eyes and body language because Legolas touched her hand soothingly.

"Aragorn has made the appropriate preparations for you to come with us back to Gondor if you chose to do so. However if you have another place to return to, I will escort you there to ensure your safety." The panic ebbed from her slightly though the doubt remained. Legolas was probably just being a gentleman and fulfilling some sort of chivalrous code. Alex smiled and pushed her ham around her plate before eating it again.

"I'm sure you'll love Gondor, Lady Elisse, it's a beautiful white city that rises up nearly to the sky." Merry said digging into his own plate of ham and eggs. Alex did a little motion with her head and continued to shovel food into her face.

Adventuring would be fun right? She would get to see all kinds of new things, new people. She loved meeting new people. Legolas wouldn't just leave her or maybe Arwen wanted her around. She seemed to like Alex enough to tolerate her in her own home city. Alex gently moved her fingers on her right hand and was pleasantly surprised when there was no pain. Maybe the cream stuff worked faster than she thought.

"My lords," a female voice sounded behind the four companions. Alex turned and there was a woman dressed in breeches, a tunic, and light ceremonial looking armor. It had an almost Celtic flavor to the light golden colored metal. The woman had long flowing blonde hair and a stern nose. Though her features were stern her green eyes were open and kind. A dainty crown circled her head, "And lady," she added as an afterthought.

"Lady Eowyn!" Pippin cried, joy lighting up his small face. He jumped to his feet and bowed. All the other men did the same gesture, rising and bowing before the beautiful woman. Alex didn't move; she felt as if she was stuck in some kind of bad medieval movie.

"Enough, lords, you have long since proven friends of Rohan and myself. There is no need for such formality. Though I admit it was not your company that drew me here. It was the rumor of the strange lady amongst us." Eowyn turned to face Alex, a smile but curious smile on her face.

"Lady Elisse?" Alex nodded her head in a greeting, trying to swallow the mass of ham she had stuffed in her face before the woman's arrival. She fidgeted in her dress and Eowyn looked her up and down, "I can't help but notice that Lady Arwen's clothes don't fit you as well as one might think. Perhaps I can offer you some other clothes that would make you feel more comfortable?" Alex blinked once and nodded hurriedly. She was so ready to get some of those tights, even if she looked like Robin Hood in them. Eowyn offered her hand and Alex set down her empty plate on the ground. Before taking her hand, she looked over at Legolas. He smiled encouragingly at her, blue eyes sparkling. To Alex they seemed sad.

"If he likes, Legolas may come with us and offer his opinion?" Eowyn offered. Alex jumped on it, nodding eagerly.

"I am honored to be invited," he said, eyes lighting up with joy. Happiness flooded into Alex and suddenly she felt like a million bucks. Despite her injuries she felt like she could run a marathon or climb a mountain. Suddenly the sun was shining brighter and the wind was a little warmer. Everything was great.

"Excellent! This way then if you please, my lord and lady," Eowyn promptly turned and lead the way down the grassy corridor formed by tents. Alex hugged her two hobbit friends and followed after Eowyn with Legolas right beside her. She didn't this she felt this happy in a long time. She was getting new clothes, she was going to go move to a brand new place with brand new people, and she was right beside Legolas. She glanced over at him and he glanced back. A large smile pulled at his lips and the feeling of happiness only increased in Alex. God, she felt so alive. She felt so good and as Legolas gently brushed her hand with his she hoped this dream never ended.

A/N Little note of apology. I've actually had this half written for a while but never seemed to be able to find a good finish for it. This seems like a pretty okay ending. In case anyone's nitpicking I figured I would explain the supreme happiness at the ending. Basically since Alex and Legolas share that bond where strong emotions come through they were feeding off each other's happiness which in turn made it only stronger; which explains Alex's momentary euphoria. So yeah. Questions? Comments? Flames? Send 'em on by. I love you guys and thank you so much for being patient.


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